Cash tug-of-war leads to calendar change

The Council of Governors has resolved to alter the yearly calendar of events with the Kenya Inter-Counties Sports and Cultural Association (Kicosca) games set to be moved from August to October.

This follows the financial crunch faced by the counties following the spat over the Division of Revenue Bill which has set the counties and Senate on one side and the national assembly on the other.

The counties are yet to receive money from the exchequer in the current financial year and have not paid their employees and suppliers in what has paralyzed operations. “Counties have over the years experienced problems in supporting their participants financially in the games with the problem persisting in the current event,” said Wycliff Oparanya, the Council of Governors chairman, when he opened this year’s games in Kericho on Monday.

“This has been caused by the fact that the competition is held at a time when the country is rolling over to a new financial year with release of funds to counties from the national treasury being experienced.”

He called on the Kenya Inter Counties Sports and Cultural Association (Kicosca) to realign its calendar of events.

Kericho Governor Paul Chepkwony, whose county is hosting the seventh Kicosca games, said counties had done a lot in upgrading of stadiums and promoting sports countrywide.

Most Kicosca competitors have not been paid allowances by their respective counties with the majority forced to use their own money with the hope that they will be reimbursed.

“It is unfortunate that the players have been forced to dig into their pockets and fund an event that is the responsibility of the employer.

“The level of commitment by the players is beyond compensation by the counties," Andrew Sigilai, the Bomet branch secretary of the Kenya County Governments Workers Union, said yesterday.