Mwachiro: Don’t blame me for failed CHAN bid and OB van purchase scandal
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) presidential candidate Herbert Mwachiro has distanced himself from the country’s failed bid to host the 2018 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN).
Mwachiro, in an interview with Nairobi News, also said he had nothing to do with the botched plan by FKF to purchase an Outside Broadcast (OB) Van in 2017.
DISAGREEMENT
Mwachiro, 50, served as FKF’s Deputy Chief Executive between November 2017 and May 2018.
He then led the organizing committee of the tournament when Kenya hosted the 2017 Council for East and Central Africa (Cecafa) Senior Challenge Cup in Kakamega, Kisumu and Machakos and also served as the Chief Executive of Kenya’s failed 2018 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) organizing committee.
“I disagreed Mwendwa on principle and left. Nothing personal. He has since fallen out with KPL and the government. He doesn’t have an enabling environment to develop the game locally,” Mwachiro, also a former renowned TV pundit at SuperSport, told Nairobi News.
“I had nothing to do with Kenya losing out on the hosting rights for CHAN 2018 to Morocco. It was out of my hands. It also had nothing to do with a lack of quality stadiums. We had the goodwill from Caf. The whole of Africa wanted to come to Meru, Machakos, Mombasa, Kakamega, and Kisumu,” he said.
“But the political temperatures were very high at the time. If we had had one election (in 2017), it would have been better, but we had two in a span of three months. The (tournament) sponsors did not want to take a risk (of bringing football to Kenya). We lost out on a great opportunity to market the country,” he added
Mwachiro also distanced himself from the OB Van fiasco.
OB VAN
Fifa forwarded Sh125 million to FKF to purchase the vehicle and in-built studio at the time neither the money or van is available at the moment.
“I was not involved in the purchase. I’m banking on FKF to hand over and we will use the documents to analyze the situation and bring solutions. That said, I will invest development monies from Fifa and Caf in the youth.”
Mwachiro also plans to talk to Harambee Stars former coaches Adel Amrouche, Bobby Williamson, and Sebastian Migne on a payment plan to settle the cumulative Sh180 million debt FKF owes them. The talks, he says, will involve the government.
Mwachiro says he will also seek to ‘lessen’ politics within football leadership by unveiling a professional format within the administration.
Importantly, Mwachiro says he has also formulated a sound plan for football development in the country.
FKF elections have been nullified by the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) on two separate occasions since December.
The new date for the polls is yet to be set and Mwachiro now joins Mwendwa, former Cecafa boss Nicholas Musonye, former KFF vice-chairman Twaha Mbarak, Gor Mahia Chief Executive Lordvick Aduda and businessman Steve Mburu as among those gunning for the top seat.