Football Kenya Federation Divisiion II side Meru Bombers are demanding Sports Kenya, the body established to manage, develop and maintain sporting facilities in the country, to revert the ownership of Kinoru Stadium to Meru County Government, which they claim is the rightful owner, after a tussle between the two factions on the usage of the grounds.In a demand letter from Otieno C and Co advocates, who are representing Meru Bombers, the club are claiming a breach in mandate from Sports Kenya over the use of Kinoru which is their designated home ground.It’s unacceptable that Kinoru Stadium remains closed to the local community but Sports Kenya has unlawfully hired it out for #walkertownmeru. We are asking @JohnnieWalkerKe @EABL_PLC @KenyaBreweries to do the socially responsible thing and cancel the event pic.twitter.com/S9AU8sQDgV— Meru Bombers Football Club (@MeruBombers) October 2, 2022 Meru claim that Sports Kenya officials denied them a chance to use the grounds that have been under renovations on claims that it was incomplete while they privately hired out the same ground for an upcoming concert.“On October 1st 2022, Meru Bombers with the express and oral permission of its officials proceeded to Kinoru Stadium for a scheduled league match against Kitengela Sportiff but Sports Kenya officials stopped and prohibited our client from using the stadium on the grounds that it is incomplete and therefore posed a health and safety risk to players and fans.Today @SportsKenya1 locked us out of Kinoru Stadium but have hired it out to @JohnnieWalkerKe, @EABL_PLC & @KenyaBreweries for #WalkerTownMeru, an event without a single Artist or service provider from Meru. It’s clear the host community is just here to be exploited @JohnMusunga pic.twitter.com/A74zpTRuqV— Meru Bombers Football Club (@MeruBombers) October 1, 2022 While this happened, Sports Kenya had at the same time hired out the stadium to East African Breweries Ltd for a Johnnie Walker themed music event.The arbitrary, contradicting and discriminatory handling of users for the stadium is apparent and upon much consideration on their part, Meru Bombers as members of the host community, are demanding the immediate handover of the stadium to its rightful owners, The Meru County Government, and the cancellation of the #WalkerTownMeru Event until the stadium is open for use to all interested parties in a fair, transparent, certain and predictable process,” the club demanded in the letter seen by Mozzart Sport.Kinoru Stadium is the property of @Meru_county and @SportsKenya1 has no authority, power or right under law to purport to hire it to @JohnnieWalkerKe, @KenyaBreweries or @EABL_PLC for #WalkerTownMeru to promote Alcohol contrary to the Alcoholic Drinks Control Act. @JohnMusunga pic.twitter.com/VQqa2E7GmG— Meru Bombers Football Club (@MeruBombers) October 1, 2022 The club threatened to take legal action should they fail to give in to their demands.“However, if you fail to comply with the aforesaid within three (3) calendar days, for an out-of-court settlement, we will have no other dialoguing recourse but we will move to the corridors of justice to secure the interest of for the discriminative practices meted on our client, with costs and antecedents emanating therefrom being exclusively borne by yourselves,” they stated.##NAJAVA_MECA_6686238##Meru Bombers demands1. THAT the ownership of Kinoru Stadium be reverted to its rightful owner Meru County Government in line with the Public Finance Management Act2. THAT the use of Kinoru Stadium be subjected to fair administrative practices in light of its discriminatory practices meted on our client on the use of the facility pursuant to Fair Administrative Actions Act, 2015, which provides that “Every person has the right to administrative action which is expeditious, efficient, lawful, reasonable and procedurally fair.”3. THAT The hire of the stadium to EABL and the fees paid are therefore flat out unlawful as they invite the thought that the stadium was hired out under private consideration while denying the our client fair, known, certain and lawful procedures for the use of the stadium in direct contravention of the law.4. THAT due to health & safety risks, the #WalkerTownMeru event be cancelled on the grounds it is to take place in an environment where intoxicated youth are assembled in darkness, the risk to their health and safety is multiplied by orders of magnitude.Besides, our client was denied the use of the facility on account that it is still under construction and has not running water therefore posing a health and safety risk to them.5. THAT the promotion of the Johnnie Walker Whisky Brand in The #WalkerTownMeru event amounts to encouragement and inducement to consume alcohol in direct contravention of people’s choice and The Alcoholic Drinks Control Act which expressly forbids the promotion, encouragement and inducement to take Alcohol.6. THAT our client in pursuit of public & social responsibility wants the involvement of the host community in matters to do with the hire and use of the facility. The entire event having been conceived, paid for and executed from Nairobi without the known involvement of any interested party in Meru.
