Nakuru County is under fire as community sports clubs reject Ksh 27 million in substandard kits. The community clubs questioned the quality of the sports kits.
In Nakuru County, a heated dispute is brewing between community sports clubs and the County Department of Youth over the procurement of sports kits and equipment valued at Ksh 27 million.
The conflict revolves around the quality of the purchased items and the apparent mismanagement of allocated funds.
According to Robert Maeri, chairman of the community clubs, the sports kits and equipment procured during the 2023–2024 financial year were far below the expected standards.
Maeri revealed that upon summoning them on July 19, 2024, for item verification, the samples they presented were significantly lower in quality than those specified in the requisition.
“We made it clear to the County Executive Committee (CEC) Member for Youth, Josephine Atieno, that we would not accept these substandard items,” Maeri stated.
The clubs have since distanced themselves from the purchase and will not participate in the distribution of these items across the 11 sub-counties.
Another thorny issue is the unaccounted funds allocated for youth sports tournaments.
Each of the 55 wards was allocated Ksh 500,000 for organising these tournaments, but according to Maeri, the funds cannot be fully accounted for.
He questioned how the county could justify the expenditure on low-quality items such as uniforms, footballs, and other equipment when the allocated tournament funds remain untraceable.
The County Chief Officer for Youth Affairs, Alex Maina, declined to comment, citing that he was on leave, and directed enquiries to the Director of Procurement, Annmarie Kiriu.
A senior officer from the community football clubs confirmed that all items presented during the stakeholders’ meeting at the county assembly were of inferior quality.
The Football Kenya Federation Nakuru Representative, Francis Oliele, also expressed disappointment with the kits, lamenting that over 60 football clubs within the county would be receiving substandard equipment.
“I attended the stakeholders’ meeting as a representative of FKF and was dismayed to see the poor quality of the items presented. This is unacceptable,” Oliele stated.
Volleyball coach Judith Barasa, who was part of the team that verified the items, also voiced her dissatisfaction.
“The volleyballs and nets procured are of such poor quality that they won’t even last through a single tournament,” Barasa remarked.
She also disclosed that the poor quality of the provided gear during the last inter-county games forced football players to return their shoes after the tournament.
According to sources, they contracted five companies to supply the kits and equipment, allocating Ksh 250,000 for tournaments in the wards and another Ksh 250,000 for kits and equipment. The wards never received the intended funds.
