Effective March 24, 2020, another countdown begun
towards yet another deadline to pay former Harambee Stars coach Adel Amrouche
his Sh. 109 million, that Football Kenya Federation (FKF) owes him.
This follows the directive by world football governing
body FIFA, whose Disciplinary Committee granted FKF more 30 days to clear the
debt, failure to which sanctions not limited to ban from participating in 2021
World Cup qualifiers could be declared against Kenya.
Regrettably, the justifiably beleaguered federation
with issues ranging from debts to twice cancelled elections, FIFA has increased
the penalty with Sh. 4 million pegged on the committee’s meetings in the
arbitration process.
This, poignantly, is as a result to failure to meet
the initially set deadline of March 11, 2020, which was arrived at following
FKF’s request for an extension of the window to pay from yet another failed ultimatum.
In the conversation of the deadlines not met, FKF
president Nick Mwendwa has been clear the federation has no money to pay
Amrouche, pleading with the Government through Ministry of Sports to settle the
penalty which he insists is part of the many inherited woes from the former
regime.
“We now have up to April 23 to pay, failure to which
we are out of Qatar 2021 World Cup. I have said we would not want our players
to lose out on such an opportunity because of 100 million. I have therefore
once again requested the Government to pay because we don’t have any other
source.
The grants we get from FIFA cannot be diverted here,
they (FIFA) can’t allow to be used for this kind of a debt…” told Mwendwa.
He says, although the Cabinet Secretary for Sports Amb.
Amina Mohammed recently said the Government was not to pay Amrouche, the
federation has nowhere else to turn to.
“Nyamweya and his team brought us to this. I have gone
to CAS for four years trying to challenge the awarding of such a big amount.
Now it has come a time we must move forward. That’s why I have requested CS
Amina to take this to the President (Uhuru Kenyatta) as we will have to handle
this once and for all. The question I would gladly answer is what measures have
we put in place to ensure we are not in such a situation in future.
Importantly, we are not going to have coaches with closed contracts so that if
terminated for a reason they seek compensation,” averred Mwendwa, pointing out
all the coaches hired and left in his tenure are at peace with the federation.
Stanley Okumbi, Belgian Paul Putt and Frenchman
Sebastien Migne have all worked for Stars under Mwendwa, with none staying to
the expiry of their contracts.
So where exactly did the rain start beating the
federation as far as the coaches debts are concerned?
September 2019,
CAS ruled on the matter, awarding the Algerian-born Belgian Sh.108,194,863 in
compensation for wrongful dismissal. FKF had basically lost the case. CAS in
addition directed FKF to pay a further Sh.1,181,511, bringing the whole amount
to a total of 109,376,374.
On February 28, this year, FIFA Disciplinary Committee
writes to FKF instructing them to pay the amount owed to Amrouche or risk
sanctions, as nothing had been paid yet. FKF requested FIFA for more time to
settle the payment on March 3, and were granted six days two days later to
clear the penalty.
With FKF still unable to pay and having sought more
extension, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee directs on Tuesday gave the one
month directive.
The above sequence of events notwithstanding, Nyamweya
insists he is not responsible for the current afflictions engulfing FKF.
“We are not responsible. My office was not
responsible. Nick Mwendwa should be sued, he should personally pay Amrouche
from his pocket,” stated Nyamweya, who is also challenging for a comeback into
the federation.
Amrouche is now the head coach of Botswana national
football team, and is on record saying he wants his one off payment, and in
full.
By Jacob Icia @Citizen
