Kenyan Sports Under Scrutiny as Questions Emerge Over Judo Federation Finances

Black Belts and Dirty Money: Inside Kenya Judo’s Alleged Cash Grab (Part 1 of 6 expose)

For years, Kenyan athletes have continued to raise concerns over how money allocated to sports federations is managed, with repeated allegations of misappropriation, lack of accountability, and neglect of athletes and volunteers.

The latest controversy now surrounds the Kenya Judo Federation following the recently concluded Africa Judo Championships hosted in Kenya. Questions are being raised over the handling of public funds, payments made to officials, and the treatment of volunteers who supported the tournament.

At the centre of the controversy is Kenya Judo Federation President Shadrack Maluki, who also serves as the head of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K), his Deputy Ducan Sargat and Treasurer David Busolo. Critics say the allegations, if proven true, could expose deeper structural problems in the management of judo and sports federations in Kenya.

Among the issues attracting public attention are claims that members of the federation’s executive committee allegedly received Ksh 500,000 each from funds linked to the tournament through the Sports Ministry, with reports of additional payments still pending. There are also allegations that executive members signed Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) allegedly aimed at preventing disclosure of the payments and internal financial arrangements.

Equally troubling are complaints from volunteers who reportedly worked during the Africa Judo Championships but allegedly remain unpaid despite promises of facilitation allowances. Reports indicate that approximately 240 volunteers are still waiting for payment after successfully delivering services during the continental event.

Some of the affected volunteers have reportedly vowed to petition President William Ruto requesting a forensic audit into the affairs of the Kenya Judo Federation. They are also calling for investigations into claims of financial mismanagement and abuse of office within the federation after coming across cricical documentation.

Further concerns have emerged over allegations that approximately Ksh 18 million was withdrawn from federation accounts last year for international travel activities that reportedly never took place. Critics and stakeholders within the sports fraternity are now demanding explanations regarding how those funds were utilised.

Insiders within the Kenya Judo Federation allege that questionable financial practices may have existed within sections of the federation for years. These allegations include claims of falsified documentation, irregular procurement processes, and weak accountability systems that allegedly enabled misuse of public and sponsorship funds.

The situation has renewed calls for urgent reforms within Kenya Judo Federations administration, including mandatory forensic audits of the federation, public disclosure of all the federations accounts, and stronger oversight from Government agencies and independent ethics bodies.

As pressure mounts, many stakeholders are now calling upon investigative agencies, including the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), to independently examine the allegations surrounding the Kenya Judo Federation and determine whether any laws were broken.

(Part 2 of our six-part investigative series will examine further allegations surrounding governance, accountability, and financial management within Kenyan Kenya Judo Federation.)