Mr. Joseph Blatter
FIFA President
Dear Mr. Blatter,
On April 12th we wrote urgently to you expressing our disappointment that your
representatives came to our country last weekend and met with former KFF
officials but refused to meet and give a fair hearing to representatives of our
top clubs, coaches, players and referees.
We also expressed concern about the misuse of FIFA funds which did not reach and
benefit our clubs, coaches, players and referees. As the former KFF officials
failed to circulate annual audit reports for the last four years as required in
the KFF Constitution, we asked you to provide information on how much was
transferred by FIFA on what dates and to what bank accounts during 2000-04.
We also pointed out that the KFF report to you on May 10, 2003 on their use of
over Ksh 5.7 million contains questionable entries and at least one false claim
and asked you to provide copies of all other KFF reports to you on their use of
your funds.
We have not received a reply to date.
Attached are some notes on the KFF report to you on May 10, 2003. As that
summary indicates, the legitimacy of some of the claimed KFF expenses is
questionable.
Moreover, the KFF use of your funds evidently violated your regulations for the
FIFA Financial Assistance Programme (FAP):
- FAP Article 3.2 states the funds should be used on “needs of the game” such
as youth and grass-roots development, women’s development, technical/education
programmes, refereeing, sports medicine and futsal soccer. Despite reportedly
getting over Ksh 50 million of FIFA/FAP funds in the last four years, the KFF
made no investment in any of these key areas. Of the Ksh 5.8 million from FIFA
in March 2003, KFF spent over 90% only on the national team yet there was only
one FIFA match that month and even that was our home match.
- FAP Article 4.3.2 states your funds should be deposited in a special FAP
account. KFF instead put your FAP funds in the KFF National Youth Development
Programme (NYDP) account even though your funds were never used for any youth
development or grassroots activities.
- FAP Article 5.1.1 required KFF to use an “officially approved and accredited
local audit company”. The KFF report for March 2003 lists a payment to “Litoki
and Associates Auditors”. That company is not even listed among the over 180
audit and accounting companies in the telephone directory.
- FAP Article 8.1 states that “All remittances from FAP contributions must be
transacted via this account”. Did all FIFA/FAP funds really go to that same
account during 2000-04?
“For the Good of the Game” in Kenya and in keeping with the spirit and letter of
the FIFA Code and its anti-corruption commitments, we repeat our requests that
you send copies of the other transfers and KFF reports and that you immediately
suspend all further payments to former KFF officials until the investigations on
their misuse of your funds are completed.
We also repeat our request that you send another mission soon to conduct a full
and fair assessment of the corruption and mismanagement by former KFF officials,
including their misuse of your funds.
Sincerely Yours,
Original signed by STC Executive Committee members:
Professor Mike Boit
Chairman, Department of Exercise and Sports Science
Kenyatta University
Ndiritu Gikaria
Vice Chairman
Kenya National Sports Council
Bob Munro
Vice Chairman
Kenyan Football Group Ltd
Gilbert Ottieno
Secretary General
Kenya Football Referees Association
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