Boardroom wars rock Cricket Kenya amid probe on Sh26.7m scandal

A quiet morning of July 5 was disrupted by a storm brewing in Cricket Kenya (CK) boardroom.

In a unanimous vote, the board passed a motion of no confidence against its chairman, Manoj Patel.

The move stripped him of all executive authority and barred him from representing the federation in any capacity.

Among those who endorsed the decision alongside six other board members was Acting Treasurer Kennedy Obuya. 

The resolution was clear: Patel could no longer represent the federation at the prestigious International Cricket Council (ICC) annual conference in Singapore. Instead, Obuya and CK Executive Director Ronald Bukusi were nominated to attend the July 17 to 20 meeting.  

“Further to this vote, Manoj Patel does not represent CK in any position or situation, and any communication should be directed to the Cricket Kenya office,” the resolution read in part. 

At that moment, the board stood united. Patel, they argued, had presided over years of financial mismanagement, secret dealings, and poor governance.

But the unity was short lived. 

Within weeks, fractures appeared, and Obuya would cross over to Patel’s side. Alongside Patel and a faction of individuals calling themselves “the supreme council”, he declared the earlier no-confidence vote null and void.  

In a press conference, the two men suspended CEO Bukusi and questioned the legitimacy of board members, saying their terms had expired.  

Interestingly, in federations like CK, contentious board decisions are made by the majority vote. 

Why the sudden change of heart?  

In April, CK had signed a lucrative agreement with Arena of Sports (AOS), a Dubai- and India-based sports promotion company, to stage a multimillion-shilling T-20 League featuring international players. 

For the plan to succeed, ICC conducts stringent due diligence on sponsors, including checks for links to match-fixing, money laundering, or other forms of corruption.  

Frustrated by delays, Arena proposed an alternative: a domestic league that could proceed without ICC endorsement. 

The majority board rejected the proposal, insisting no tournament could go ahead without due process such as a new contract and highlighted that new ICC regulations in force since March still meant the tournament required the letter of no objectio n. 

But Patel and Obuya pushed back. 

Soon, allegations of bribery surfaced. Board members claimed there were attempts to financially induce them into supporting Arena.  

“On 10 September 2025, the board, by majority resolution, terminated its agreement with AOS citing severe reputational damage and grave breaches of governance, including attempts to improperly influence board members through financial inducements and external pressure,” Bukusi said in a statement.  

Despite the termination, Patel and Obuya pressed forward, even appearing alongside Arena in public events to promote the controversial league. 

The boardroom battles quickly spilled into the public, exposing deep governance cracks.

With the majority bloc pressing for reforms and accountability, Patel and Obuya doubled down to stage what looked like an attempted coup. The majority board hit back and like Patel passed a vote of no confidence against Obuya.

DCI summonses

But as the boardroom war intensified, past multi-million-shilling financial dealing also resurfaced. 

On Friday, just two days after the board ousted Obuya, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) summoned him and Patel over a Sh26.7 million scandal.

“I am investigating allegations of stealing… and connected offences relating to the withdrawal and usage of Sh26,758,144 in the financial year 2024 being property of Cricket Kenya,” the summons read.  

“I have reason to believe that you, Manoj Patel, are connected to the offence or you have information which can assist me in investigations.”

When reached for comment yesterday, Obuya said he has no idea where the unfounded allegations against him came from.

“Why am I being mentioned in relation to the Sh26 million yet I was not the treasurer? Anything that happens in cricket it is Obuya being mentioned. This is wrong.”

He insisted that he means well for the sport. “Those things I’m being accused of happened long before I became treasurer. I have been treasurer for only four months. Go ask those who sent you what do they want from me? I am tired of being associated with controversy happening in Cricket Kenya.”

He added that he was not the only one summoned by DCI. “The entire board has been summoned to write statements.”

Patel didn’t respond to WhatsApp and text messages. He also didn’t pick up the phone when called. 

Obuya will be grilled today while Patel will appear before the detectives tomorrow. 

The DCI probe is anchored in part to a damning finance committee report dated May 19, pursuant to investigations conducted by senior officials from the Ministry of Sports.   

The report uncovered a secret bank account at the Prime Bank, opened on April 27, 2022, that had never been declared in CK’s official financial statements. Even more troubling, accountable documents — including cheque books — were kept personally by Patel, violating Finance Policy 9.9, which mandates such items be stored securely by the chief finance officer. 

Between June and December, 2024, the account handled Sh11.9 million in unexplained transactions.  No payment vouchers, receipts, or invoices were presented to justify the spending. 

The committee’s recommendation was blunt: Patel must surrender all cheque books and related documents, and the board must restore proper governance structures. 

“The board should not take over the duties of the secretariat as there should be segregation of duties for governance and strong internal controls,” the report warned.

On September 24, the board barred Patel and Obuya from accessing any of CK’s bank accounts.