Cat and Mouse games as Paralympics bosses meet Dr. Wario

Sports Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Hassan Wario and officials of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities as well as those from the Kenya National Paralympics Committee engaged in a game of cat and mouse at the ministry headquarters in Nairobi as controversy over how Ksh132m set aside for the Rio 2016 Paralympics Games was spent rages on.

Dr. Wario has summoned NCPD and KNPC officials to his office on Wednesday after the former’s chairman, Dr. David ole Sankok, wrote to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to launch a formal complaint over how Ksh132m was spent during Paralympics Summer Games in Brazil.

At the end of the deliberations that went on until evening, the parties emerged to say the “matter will now be handled at a ministerial level,” as officials who earlier had promised to fully expose the rot at the 2016 Paralympics Games suddenly went coy in the corridors of the ministry headquarters they had vowed to paralyse in protest.

In his letter, Sankok alleged that the Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts had contravened Act No. 14 of 2003 and United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by sending able-bodied officials to an event meant for the disabled.

At first, the meeting that was scheduled to start at midday was cancelled after they were informed that Wario was not feeling well.

Eager to air their complaints and challenges they faced during the Games, the officials led by Sankok retreated to their headquarters at Nairobi’s Nyayo Stadium where they started preparing to address a press conference later in the afternoon.

But before they could hold their presser, they were summoned again to the Ministry and told the CS would now meet them at 2pm (+3GMT). The officials got to the Ministry’s boardroom an hour early and patiently waited for the Minister for about two hours.

When Wario finally arrived, he directed one of his bodyguards- armed with a note book and a pen- to start bringing in the aggrieved parties one after the other.

KNPC President Agnes Oluoch at first led few officials from the national Paralympics body to meet the minister leaving Sankok behind.

The remaining officials including Sankok were growing impatient and wanted to address the media thinking that the other set have been compromised into agreeing with the Minister.

Sankok’s name was then called out after a while and as he stood up, he assured his colleagues that everything would be alright and headed straight for the meeting.

After a brief meeting with Wario, the officials walked back to the boardroom smiling and the media was asked to excuse both parties as they had their closed door meeting.

When it came time to address the media Wario quickly walked out of the room leaving Sankok to address the members of the fourth Estate.

Without saying much, Sankok declared matter would be dealt by the ministry as he looked pleased with his days’ work, the fire and brimstone that he has been threatening to let loose all week now fully extinguished.

Kenyans must now wait longer to unravel what went on in Brazil following accusations that mirror the fiasco from the Rio 2016 Olympics held a month earlier where state money was embezzled by officials as athletes suffered.