By CHRIS MUSUMBA
A deadlock remains between the government and the Local Organising Committee of the 2010 Senior Africa Athletics Championship over acquisition of funds and an independent bank account for the biannual event, with only seven months to go.
Three months since Helen Sambili, the Sports minister, sanctioned the hosting of the race through a special Kenya Gazette notice that empowered LOC to operate an account, little has happened as the Treasury tightened the screws on the coffers.
LOC argues that it must be allowed to operate an account through which sponsors and well wishers will deposit funds.
“Running sports is different compared to the management of a parastatal. This is how it is done worldwide and we cannot agree to have another way that we will not be able to account to,” LOC chief executive officer David Okeyo said on Tuesday.
He added that the account must also be credited with a full remittance of the Sh200 million the government pledged towards the championship, which will be held at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, from July 28 to August 1.
“I got an assurance from the Sports permanent secretary, James Waweru, that we will operate an account. A letter to that effect was supposed to be here by today [yesterday] but none has come. I am still optimistic it will arrive,” said Okeyo.
Deadline postponed again
This has forced LOC to, for the second time in a row, postpone its deadline for the acquisition of equipment for the championship. Okeyo said its December 31 was not attainable owing to the slow pace the government has adopted towards the event.
“We have until January 31, after which we will make our stand known. For now, they have the specifications on what we want. It must be done first thing next year so that our technical staff can get the chance to test them ahead of the trial event on April 24,” said Okeyo.
With only seven months remaining, before the continents bets crop of talent descend on Kenya for the biannual championship, LOC is faced with a mountain of work including training of championship officials and umpires.
However, with a shoe-string budget, organisers have no choice but to postpone most of the work until when funds are available.
At the same time, Okeyo sought to assure sponsors that fans will troop to the stadiums to watch the championship.
With a bad report having been delivered over Orange Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup, where funs stayed away and the few who turned up wanted to access the venue without buying tickets, Okeyo said athletics was different from football and should be treated as such.
“It is a disappointment when you see that the fans are not turning up. We have organised track athletics meetings and scores of fans have always turned up. I believe we will see them again in July, he said.
LOC is planning to have special shuttle busses to ferry spectators to and from Kasarani during the five days of the championship.
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