Championship organisers yet to pay some suppliers

A South African television and lighting consultant and some suppliers for World Under-18 Athletics Championships held five months ago in Nairobi are yet to be paid for their services.

The consultant, Angus Clarke, has said the government is yet to pay him close to Sh10 million owed to him for replacing and correcting the lighting system at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, where the championship was held.

John Kimani, director of J.G. Kims Company Limited that was contracted to supply score boards, judges marks and marking cones, is also yet to be paid more than Sh700,000 for providing equipment and other materials used during race walk competitions in the youth event.

FLASH INTERVIEWS

Teams that worked on flash interviews area at the mixed zone, and the championship caravan that toured the counties are also still owed more than Sh100,000.

In a statement, Clarke said he was called on a short notice under the direction of World Under-18 Chief Executive Officer Mwangi Muthee to assist the Local Organising Committee in correcting the lighting system at the stadium in Kasarani.

“The IAAF TV specialists and TV host broadcaster decreed that the lighting was inadequate for international TV coverage, especially athletics,” said Clarke. “I was called in only two weeks prior to start of games, to advise on what could be done to save organisers from the embarrassment of putting out a sub-standard product to the international TV market.”

Clarke said the rates he quoted were accepted and he was brought in and was assigned an electrician named Evans Kantai to assist him.

“We methodically replaced faulty lights, being only able to test at night, and with time constraints against us, we often worked to the early hours of the morning,” explained Clarke. “We managed to correct all 230 stadium lights for cross field lighting in record time.”

Clarke said the stadium did not have mounted lights to cover each end of the field, something critical for track events as camera coverage is located in these areas.

Despite assurances that we would be paid on completion of the event, Clarke said he is still waiting to be paid months after Muthee had assured them that he had approved all the payments.

Yesterday, Muthee said Sports Ministry had released all payments for suppliers and contractors after the championship.

“We signed the vouchers and everything was approved and payments made through Sports Kenya, who however tell us that Kenya Revenue Authority took the money. We really don’t know what is happening now,” said Muthee.