NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 30 – Besieged Football Kenya Federation (FKF) chief Nick Mwendwa has been freed on a Khs10 million cash bail or Ksh 15 million bond after appearing in an anti-corruption Court in Nairobi on Tuesday.
Mwendwa, who is charged with four counts of fraudulent acquisition of public property has however been restricted from accessing FKF offices without the permission of the court as well as interfering with any of the prosecution witnesses either directly or indirectly through his proxies.
Milimani senior principal magistrate Eunice Nyutu also instructed Mwendwa to deposit his passport with the court and restrained from discussing the subject matter in any media until it’s heard and determined.
The four counts of fraud involved Ksh 38 million.
Mwendwa was re-arrested on Friday last week, spending the weekend in custody for allegations of mismanagement of the football body in the country, he was presented before court on Monday but he refused to take plea, seeing the matter referred by a day where he took plea.
He had been earlier released on a Ksh 4 million cash bail before the court closed the file after the State failed to charge him, only for things to change few days later.
Kenyan football has long been beset by financial woes often stemming from poor management and corruption, while Kenya’s national team the Harambee Stars have failed to shine on the pitch.
Chinese media and electronics company StarTimes last week announced it was cancelling a major sponsorship deal to broadcast Kenyan premier league matches.
“The persistent acrimony between the governing body and its key stakeholders among them media and top tier clubs has negatively affected the league’s brand affinity,” the company said in a statement.
A Nigerian sports betting firm cancelled its sponsorship of Kenya’s main football league in August, days after two of the country’s top teams complained of non-payments.
The league faced a financial crisis after the exit of another title sponsor, online gaming firm SportPesa, in September 2019 following a protracted tax row with the government.
Football’s world governing body FIFA has warned Kenya it risked a ban if the government did not reconsider reinstating Mwendwa’s team.
