Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed has threatened to sue the Standard newspaper, following reports that the ministry of sports had neglected the National Netball team in South Africa.
In the story ran by several media outlets in Kenya, it is alleged that the government failed to pay accommodation fees for the team that was attending Afican Championship, forcing the hotel they were booked in to block them.
The team travelled to SA on Thursday last week after the government secured them tickets and visas, but that was the end of support from the sports ministry.
Read: Shame As Kenya Women’s Netball Team Is Detained In South Africa Over Pending Accommodation Bill
On arrival in Cape Town, the team was turned away from a hotel they had booked as there was no payment done.
According to the Score KE host Carol Radull, the players then left for the tournament venue where they took a shower and later that day played their first match against Tanzania on empty stomachs.
A Kenyan of goodwill living in Cape Town bought the team milk and bread and later found accommodation at a local lodge owned by a Cameroonian woman.
The foreigner, Ms Radull says, has been feeding and housing the team whenever she can until the government settles the bill.
Read: CS Amina Warned By Parliament Over Increased Foreign Travels
The woman will apparently retain some of the women’s passports until the government pays up.
The Women’s Netball team has gone on to lose all the games.
The Standard, which spoke to insiders at the ministry, reports that “the money for accommodation amounting to Ksh1,449,760 was approved and disbursed on Tuesday and received by the hotel yesterday (Wednesday October 23).”
“Story appearing on Pg 2 of today’s Standard in respect of my client, Amina Mohamed, Minister for Sports, Culture & Hetitage is Libellous, Fake & False & have issued appropriate demand letter to SG,” tweeted Donald Kipkorir, Ms Mohamed’s lawyer.
Today, it was reported that journalists were flushed out from a meeting where the CS was appearing before a parliamentary committee.
Here is the demand letter:-
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