A senior finance officer in the Ministry of Sports has told a Nairobi Court that the government fully paid Ksh583.5 million for the 2016 Rio Olympics games.
Stephen Njoroge Muthuma told Milimani Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina that he was shocked that athletes experienced problems during the games yet the Kenya government had fully paid for accommodation, accreditation, games service services DRMT (Delegates Registration meetings) air tickets and medical expenses.
While being led in his evidence-in-chief by state prosecutor Anderson Gikunda, Muthuma said he received approval from the former PS Amb Richard Ekai to transfer Ksh583,540,966 for the games.
Onyina heard that the Sports Ministry had planned to spend Ksh499,777,426 on the team and Ksh 83,683540 on the National Olympics Committee-Kenya (NOC-K).
"This budget was approved and brought to my office for implementation. We transferred Ksh 29,829,000 to the Nock account on July 15, 2016, as per their request dated June 20, 2016, which had been approved by the steering committee for accreditation accommodation, games services and medical services," Muthuma testified.
Further, he noted that on July 31, 2015, the ministry had forwarded Ksh4,616,928 for the purpose of booking accommodation at the village where the athletics and officials were to stay.
Muthuma said that he further paid Ksh150,792,244 for the allowances of the participants in the Rio Games.
Another finance officer Patrick Kimathi Nkiabu was given Ksh22,540,800 for accommodation for additional team officials' entertainment, provision of therapy services, media, Public relations communication, services counselor, excess baggage, purchase of emergency equipment, Competition equipment and provision for airtime.
"The Ministry paid for all travelling air tickets for athletics officials and government officials to the tune of Ksh154,541,280," Muthuma said.
He added the ministry further paid Ksh80,865,491 for the Paralympics.
He was testifying in a case where former Team Kenya Chef-de-Mission for the Rio 2016 Olympics, Stephen Arap Soi, NOC-K Secretary General Francis Kinyili Paul, Vice-President Pius Ochieng are charged with stealing money and Nike sportswear intended for the team at the Rio Olympic Games.
Muthuma told the court he was also scheduled to travel to attend the games in Rio and was paid USD 4,000 in allowances but did not travel because of a lot of work organising for the team and preparing the Paralympics team.
'I did not travel and hence l surrendered the allowance given to me to the cashier Kilonzo James on October 4, 2016. I was issued with a receipt number 3611089 for Ksh406,311," Muthuma told Onyina.
Cross-examined by lawyer Kimutai Bosek Muthuma said he does not know how Soi stole the Ksh25 million adding that it is only the account at the Ministry that can tell.
The three NOC-Kofficials have denied the theft charges against them over the embarrassing scandal that tarnished Kenya’s best-ever performance at the Games.
In the case Soi alone faces five charges of stealing USD256,000 equivalent to Ksh25,907,705.82) from the Government, National Olympics Committee-Kenya (NOC-K) and Athletics Kenya.
The prosecution alleges that on July 20, 2016, at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi County, Soi willfully refused to report the conveyance of money instruments to authorised officers at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to wit conveyance of USD234,000 (Ksh23,684,944.11) out of Kenya during his exit to Brazil in accordance to the requirements of subsection (1) of the proceeds of crime and Anti-money laundering Act.
He also denied that he stole the amount from the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Arts at the same date and place.
Another charge against him states that on July 20, 2016, at NOC-K’s offices being an official trustee to the National Olympics Committee-Kenya, stole USD18,000 (Ksh 1,822,038.44) which had been entrusted to him by Athletics Kenya for purposes of making payments towards the accommodation of Athletics Kenya officials during the Rio 2016 Games in Brazil.
Soi was further charged with two other counts that he stole USD3000 (Ksh 303,667.44) and another USD1000 (Ksh104,000) from the Ministry’s offices at Kencom House, Nairobi on the same date.
Paul and Ochieng were separately charged with pinching Nike kit and omitted to make an inventory of Nike kit uniforms donated by Nike company that was meant to be distributed to Team Kenya athletes who got way short of what they were entitled by Team Kenya during Rio 2016 Olympics games.
The prosecution alleges that the duo committed the offences on dates between June 1, 2016, and July 31, 2016, in the Nairobi Nock offices at Plaza 2000 building within Nairobi County, jointly with others not
before court.
Ekumbo alone faces two counts of conspiracy to steal $10,500 about Sh1,050,000) jointly with others and theft of assorted 2016 Rio Olympic Games kit for Team Kenya.
The three former Nock officials are out on bond terms of Ksh1 million or a cash bail of Ksh 200,000 each.
The hearing will proceed on November 3.
The accused were charged after reports emerged that embarrassment ensued when someone had forgotten to book a plane ticket for javelin world champion Julius Yego — who went on to win Olympics silver — while 200m sprinter Carvin Nkanata’s accreditation was submitted late meaning he almost missed his race.
A parliamentary probe into the mismanagement of the Games was told how $20,000 was wasted as officials booked rooms for senior government officials aboard a cruise ship that were never used.
Despite the scandals, Kenya scooped 13 medals, including six gold, in its best performance at the Olympics.
