Mwendwa vents his anger at Kaberia over Harambee Starlets woes
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Nick Mwendwa has blasted Sports Principal Secretary, Kirimi Kaberia, accusing him of refusing to fund national teams competing in international assignments.
While addressing the media at a Nairobi Hotel on Tuesday, an agitated Mwendwa claimed Kaberia, who is the principal accounting officer in his Ministry, had consistently refused to respond to official requests to fund the national women football team – referred to as Harambee Starlets – for the past year.
Kaberia, Mwendwa went on, had also refused to release a penny to fund the men’s national football team, Harambee Stars since the team participated at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in July.
“The President told me to my face that we now have a (Sports) Fund that will take care of all national teams. But the PS has refused to fund these teams. I don’t know what his problem is with football,” said Mwendwa.
“He never attends Harambee Stars matches because he has always promised (to fund) these teams but never actualises this,” he went on.
CANCELED TRAINING
With this development, Mwendwa explained that he has been forced to cancel training for the Starlets ahead of next week’s 2020 Olympics qualifier against Zambia in Nairobi and Lusaka.
Mwendwa also confirmed that should the scenario not change, Harambee Stars will not be in a position to honour the 2021 Africa Nations Cup qualification matches against Togo and Egypt in Nairobi and Cairo respectively, later this month.
Kenyan champions Gor Mahia are also in danger of failing to honour the Caf Confederation Cup return leg match away to DC Motema Pembe in Kinshasa this weekend.