The National Treasury gave the Anti-Doping Agency and the Kenya Academy of Sports ( KAS) zero budgetary allocation for the 2024/25 financial year, the National Assembly Committee on Sports and Culture has been told.
Speaking when he appeared before the Committee chaired by Webuye West Member of Parliament Dan Wanyama, Sports Principal Secretary Peter Tum said the budget cuts by the Treasury would adversely affect the Agency's operations.
"The Adak has only Sh10 million appropriation in aid cash. This is the first time the Agency has been starved of cash by the Treasury," Tum told the meeting reviewing the Budget Estimates for the Financial Year 2024/25.
The Agency plays a critical role in the fight against doping, adding that failure to allocate money would cripple the entity.
The PS asked for the Committee's intervention to ensure Treasury gives them Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAs) a budgetary allocation.
Tum said Sagas are being subjected to budget cuts by the National Treasury without involving them.
He told the Committee a surge in doping cases has tarnished the country's reputation as an athletics powerhouse.
"Adak was on the right track in the fight against doping. The Agency cannot win the war without adequate funding," said the PS.
The Committee observed a decision by the National Treasury to starve the Sports Ministry of money derailed the implementation of key projects.
"From the reports tabled before the Committee, we can confirm that Treasury is a stumbling block to efforts by the Ministry to implement its development plan and funding of other sports activities," said the chairperson, Wanyama.
"We are concerned that some officers at the National Treasury are operating with a lot of impunity. It will not be business as usual for them."
The Committee was told that the National Treasury had reduced the Sports Ministry's recurrent budget by 30 per cent and increased the development budget by Sh559.2 million.
Suba South MP Caroli Omondi said the Treasury had no powers to deny any Saga money.
"The law compels the National Treasury to appropriate money to any entity created by an Act of Parliament annually as per their budget. What the National Treasury is doing is illegal and unacceptable," said Omondi.
Nominated MP Jackson Kosgei said it's wrong for the Treasury to cut Sagas' budget or deny them money without involving the agencies.
