Why FKF employees will soon be smiling all the way to the bank

The audit therefore raised serious concerns on staff welfare, the ability of the federation to attract and retain skilled professionals, and performance.

However, more alarming from the report is the situation at the top management level roles, including that of the CEO, Football Development Officer, currently occupied by Francis Kimanzi, and Head of Leagues and Competitions Manager, currently held by Frank Ogolla, who are underpaid to the tune of 743%.

For the locally filled roles, the audit firm carried out benchmarks with equal local institutions, while for the management roles, the benchmark was with equal Football Associations (FA) outside the country, as they are FIFA-recognized roles.

It is based on this benchmark that it came out that Kenya pays approximately 743% below FIFA benchmarks at median levels, a situation that the audit flagged as alarming.

“Significant pay gaps at mid and senior levels increase turnover risk and lead to loss of institutional knowledge and continuity,” reads part of the findings.

The audit went ahead to recommend an increase of local roles towards market medians, while for FIFA-recognized roles, FKF was advised to make an increase towards 50-75% of FIFA minimums over two to three years.

According to the audit, the salaries paid to occupants of FIFA-recognized roles put the country at risk of funding eligibility, as the office holder handles huge amounts of funds in the course of duty.

Should the increment be implemented, FKF employees would get over a 70% salary increment, while those occupying senior management roles would take home millions of shillings.

According to court documents presented by former FKF CEO Harold Ndege, the position currently attracts a wage of Ksh800,000, and therefore an increase of 50-75% of the FIFA minimum could see the office holder earn over Ksh2 million, while if the federation chooses to meet FIFA medians, the FKF CEO would take home approximately Ksh6 million in salary.

The audit report also highlighted that FKF has underinvested in ICT services and finance, as well as women's football development, which hinders the country's growth and competitiveness at both the local and global levels.

Click here to read article