Nairobi News

Citizen TV anchor Waihiga Mwaura has denied receiving facilitation fee from a government agency during the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Waihiga on Tuesday appeared before a Nairobi court where he testified in the ongoing trial of government officials over misuse of state funds in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

The journalist told Magistrate Elizabeth Osoro that he was among journalists whose names were listed by the National Olympics Committee of Kenya (Nock) as recipients of USD 1,000 (Ksh.100, 000) without his knowledge.

According to Waihiga, his travel and accommodation was paid for by his employer and he never had a conversation with Nock officials or any other agency involved in the preparation on Rio Olympics.

He also told the court that some people listed as part of Team Kenya were non-Kenyans. He said it was easy for him to notice because he was conversant with most Kenyan athletes as well as Nock officials.

THEFT AND FRAUD

Waihiga was testifying in a case in which former Nock officials Pius Ochieng, Francis Kanyiri and Stephen Arap Soi have denied involvement in Sh25 million theft and fraud.

Mr Mwaura said he is ready to cooperate with investigators.

“I wish to state that I appeared before a committee formed to investigate graft allegations during the Rio Olympics and I shared my side of the story,” he said.

During the Rio Olympics 2016, athletes complained about kits going missing as well as poor travel and accommodation arrangements.

There were also allegations that officials took their friends at the expense of coaches.

The complaints forced President Uhuru Kenyatta to call for investigations into the matter.

Then Sports Secretary Hassan Wario has since been charged with six counts of abuse of office. He was released on a Sh1 million bail, with a personal bond of a similar amount.

He is currently Kenyan Ambassador to Austria.