KETRACO SUCKED INTO KAKAMEGA FOOTBAL EXTRAVAGANZA "SPONSORSHIP ROW"

By Joel Eshikumo. 

FOR the entire week, claims that an ongoing football tournament in Kakamega County was being sponsored by among others the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company - Ketraco cut across like a sharp razor.

Social media platforms were awash with different  posters of the same Talanta Mashinani tournament as hoards of supporters, Goons and critics alike, pounced for a piece of the pie in the raging debate. 

The poster sensationally showing  that the football extravaganza was being sponsored by Baraza Foundation (a brain child of Ketraco CEO Fernandes Odinga Baraza), Odi Bet and Ketraco first appeared on a Tweeter account of one @kwateraaustine. 

It was quickly picked up by 45 other influential Watsap groups among them Pamoja Twasikika, a group allied to Kakamega-based preasure group Bunge La Haki Usawa na Maendeleo. 

Other groups that took up the "KETRACO - sponsorship" topic included  Great Butere Constituency, Friends of Mumias FOM, Pamoja Tusikike Kenya, Kakamega Informat Center, Mulembe Unity Group, Larger Lugari Watchdog, Khwisero war Chest, Friends of Barasa and Likuyani Stars. 

For close to 48 hours, "Pamoja Twasikika" was a battle ground as both condemnation poured in on why Ketraco, oiled by public funds would sponsor a personal initiative by its CEO Fernandes Baraza who has expressed his intentions to contest as Kakamega Governor in 2022. 

Those who snapped up the first poster including supporters of Kakamega Senator Honourable Cleophas Malala (Who is also being taunted to be in the Governor's race in 2022)from @kwateraaustine, expressed furry  on all the forums and called on the investigative agencies the DCI and EACC to move in and investigate. 

"If this is true, then it amounts to abuse of office misuse of public funds and must be nipped in the bud immediately because it goes against Chapter 6 of the constitution" Wrote Musa Ekaya one of the administrators of "Pamoja Twasikika" Group. 

As condemnation poured in, Senator Malala who oftenly interacts on the platforms weighed in on the matter wondering if the poster was true and why KETRACO had chosen the path. 

The Senator and his backers splashed the poster repeatedly pushing hard to show that it could be true that Ketraco had a hand in the million-dollar Talanta extravaganza set for a grand launch end of October 2020.

On another end, supporters of Mr. Samuel Omukoko Credit Reference Bureau CEO who has also declared his intension to contest as governor pounced on the news like blood-thirsty mongrels tearing apart Baraza supporters across watsapp and Facebook forums. 

Led by one Conrad, the bloggers ravaged the much touted football tournament saying Ketraco had decided to campaign for its CEO something they argued was going to "tilt" the playing field in favour of its CEO Mr. Baraza. 

As debate was heating up, backers of Mr. Baraza's candidature led by one Anaclet cane out to claim that what was being paraded was not the original poster as it had been edited "to plant the Ketraco logo" 

"This is the work of our detractors, this is slanted to serve certain interests and we know who 8s behind this nonsense, we will not stop here, we will unvail the culprits behind this act" wrote Anaclet. 

Backed by several supporters of Baraza on the forum, Anaclet first raided the original poster on Tweeter and posted what he claimed was the correct poster for the tourney. 

The second poster however only had two sponsors :Baraza Foundation and Odi Bets at the very bottom. 

Reports indicate that Ketraco had to quickly step in and through its cooperate department, distanced itself from claims that it has a hand in the football game. 

"We wish to disassociate Ketraco from an advert/poster circulating online and purporting that we are a sponsor of Barasa Foundation Champions Cup" read part of the signed communique seen by @eshikumo2030. 

An insider at the Baraza Foundation intimated to @eshikumo2030 that the initial poster indeed emerged from the foundation and that it did not have Ketraco as one of the sponsors, another source dismissed it as cheap propaganda. 

"Whoever took the original poster (without Ketraco as a sponsor) and edited it to add outrageous prize amounts and Ketraco among the donors and released it on social media is one fine individual who is a techie" Said our source. 

Before this was resolved, a letter seen by @eshikumo2030 from Bunge la haki civil group, calling for investigation into Ketraco 's involvement in the tournament also created a storm with Senator Malala terming the letter as having "come too fast". 

The civic society, amidst the backlash stood with its demand to EACC and DCI to treat the matter with the seriousness it deserves. 

Your favorite blog @eshikumo2030 will keep you posted on who and where this online war between Aspirants in Kakamega County is headed. 

ENDS. 

What is beloved to have been the Original poster for the Baraza Foundation  tonourment.

This is said to have been edited by "detractors" to include the outrageous prize money for the teams and Ketraco logo below.