This archive report was first published on 17 July 2019.
On July 16, 2019, Citizen TV anchor Waihiga Mwaura appeared before a Nairobi court to testify in the ongoing trial of government officials accused of misusing state funds during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Waihiga denied receiving a facilitation fee of USD 1,000 (Ksh. 100,000) from a government agency, stating that his travel and accommodation expenses were covered by his employer.
He claimed that his name was listed among recipients of the facilitation fee without his knowledge and that he never had a conversation with National Olympics Committee of Kenya (Nock) officials or any other agency involved in the preparation of the Rio Olympics.
Waihiga also testified that some individuals listed as part of Team Kenya were non-Kenyans, which he noticed due to his familiarity with Kenyan athletes and Nock officials.
He was testifying in a case involving former Nock officials Pius Ochieng, Francis Kanyiri, and Stephen Arap Soi, who have denied involvement in Sh25 million theft and fraud.
Waihiga expressed his willingness to cooperate with investigators, stating, 'I wish to state that I appeared before a committee formed to investigate graft allegations during the Rio Olympics and I shared my side of the story.'
