By NATION Reporter 

Poor financial management and questionable purchases at Kenya Football Federation (KFF) can now be exposed.

Some of its officials withdraw money in the federation's name but no receipts were issued, according to an investigation into the federation's accounts.

In one instance, a company associated with an official heading a youth soccer programme was given nearly a monopoly in supplying the KFF with sports equipment, states the report by a private audit firm.

Some KFF officials have since been suspended and the matter referred to the police for further investigations.

The investigation also questions Sh562,400 paid in the name of KFF chairman Maina Kariuki on August 18, 2000 to pay match officials for the Kenya-Egypt tie in the Under-20 tournament.

The auditors' report states: "A memo to a Mr Willis states that documents attached were part of the vouchers for the refund to the chairman who, incidentally did not sign a receipt for the cheque."

The only supporting documents were for US$2,400 (Sh187,200), which includes three petty cash vouchers for US$750 (Sh58,500) and a receipt from the immigration department for US$150 (Sh11,700). 

The auditors were appointed by the KFF to join another government team investigating alleged financial mismanagement and other irregularities.

The auditors said they were unable to get vouchers supporting the payment of over Sh3.6 million through the KFF head office bank account.

Some of the money was paid to hotels but the bulk of the cheques were issued in the name of Mr Levi Obondo, the federation's suspended national treasurer.

The auditors state: "In the absence of payment vouchers and relevant supporting documents we were unable to verify the validity of the payments. (This) serves as an eye opener to lack of preservation of important accounting documents."

They question the issuing of eight cheques from the National Youth Development Fund (NYDP) to buy balls for distribution to youth centres countrywide in 2000.

One of the cheques was for Sh1 million to the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) and which was drawn on January 17, 2000.

The purchase was supported only by a letter dated December 11, 1999 from the Cecafa secretary general, Mr Sam Nyamweya, acknowledging an earlier one written on November 3 by the NYDP co-ordinator, requesting that the balls should be sold to the federation.

"The invoice raised by Cecafa indicates that the balls were obtained from the German GTZ and issued a loan to the NYDP," the report says.

The auditors also question a request from Mr Sam Nyamweya that the Sh1 million should be paid in cash. The federation made other orders for balls and paid between Sh1,000 and Sh4,000 a ball, causing the auditors to question the price difference.

Contacted for comment yesterday, Mr Nyamweya, said there was nothing sinister about the sale of balls to the NYDP. 

The sale took place during the East and Central African Youth Championship in Nairobi. He said Cecafa had approached GTZ for funds to help the regional body meet expenses for the tournament which was also used to raise awareness on AIDS.

"GTZ did not have money so they gave us balls and because we could not use 1,000 balls at a go and we were short of money, we sold the balls to NYDP which was buying balls at higher prices from the open market," Mr Nyamweya said.

The auditors also draw attention to a Sh100,000 refund given to Mr Nyamweya for expenses incurred on international telephone calls and faxes made through his private office.

The auditors say: "There are neither the necessary supporting documents nor was the voucher approved for payment, as would have been expected."

The auditors also question the lack of competitive bidding in ordering supplies and why 90 per cent of the purchases were from one supplier, Olympic Sports House.

They state: "It is instructive to note, however, that the chairman of the NYDP during this period was a director of the company from which the goods were acquired. We wonder whether he exercised undue influence on the KFF by virtue of his position at the time."