By Mark Baber
May 15 – MP&Silva will reportedly not be stumping up more cash for the Kenyan Football Federation’s (FKF) attempt to set up a new Premier League in its own name, in a week in which the Kenya Premier League (KPL) moved to lay down the basic rules for player participation in the Kenyan national team games.
Following the failure of the attempt by the FKF hierarchy to destroy the KPL in court, MP&Silva, the international media agency effectively bankrolling the FKF’s attempt to set up a top tier league controlled directly by the federation, have written to the FKF saying they are not willing to provide any more money to the FKF for 2015, according to copy of the letter obtained by website Goal.
MP&Silva are quoted as having written: “Herewith, we provide you with our proposal we think could solve the issues for the current seaso…Our basic plan would be to assume the minimum guarantee for this season has been fulfilled with our first two payments totalling $833,000 (Sh79million).
“This is due to the following reasons: The league that Azam is currently broadcasting is second tier in terms of quality. None of the clubs that signed the attachment to the main contract are featuring in FKF-PL let alone one of the two big clubs whose participation had been promised.”
Figures close to the KPL have long felt the FKF would hang themselves, given enough rope, and that impression seems to be reinforced reading the part of MP&Silva’s letter dealing with recent allegations in the Kenyan press: “No draft of an MOU between FKF-PL and KPL has been provided to us. There is a clear discrepancy between the attachment to the contract between us that had been sent via e-mail and the original hard copy received by courier; the press has been talking about a ‘forgery’; we just are aware that a discrepancy needs to be explained.”
MP&Silva’s frustration with the FKF is evident as the letter continues: “Therefore, as mentioned above, we consider minimum guarantee for the season 2015 equal to Zero. Any additional revenue exceeding the already paid Sh.79million will be split 60% to MP&Silva and 40% to FKF in order to recover all the costs we have sustained until now.”
Meanwhile the FKF have (predictably) reacted badly to the recent moves by the KPL to ensure player releases for international duty conform to FIFA standards and that there is some transparency in accounting. The KPL has resolved that: “The federation will be required to provide unrestricted access by a certified Public auditor appointed by KPL to oversee income, expenditure statements and related accounting records for all national teams involving players from the league.”
In response a FKF spokesperson opined that “playing for the national team is a call to national duty, a service to our nation, a sacrosanct assignment and an epitome of our national pride and collective aspirations of our nation and any attempts to deviate from this cause is self-defeating and unacceptable.”
Until such time as a new administration takes control of the FKF, committed to honest governance, transparency and working constructively with the other stakeholders in Kenyan football, releases of players for international duty, sharing of revenues for matches outside the FIFA calendar, and issues of transparency are likely to constitute a new focus for conflict between the FKF and KPL.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734904673labto1734904673ofdlr1734904673owedi1734904673sni@r1734904673ebab.1734904673kram1734904673