Rachier / Ngala still don’t understand the importance of transparency
Gor Mahia Chairman Ambrose Rachier and Deputy Secretary General Ronald Ngala, who is the longest serving official at the club, gave an extensive interview to Rashid Abdallah of Citizen TV.
First off kudos to the duo. They addressed a number of issues including restructuring the club, jersey sales, infighting and so forth.
At around 25:22, the presenter tell Rachier and Ngala that many fans have refused to become paying members because they worry that the money will be used to line the pockets of officials.
Rachier answered by stating that many Gor Mahia fans have a mentality and culture that they want results but are not willing to pay for match tickets or become paying members. He then added that the club’s leadership is not at fault for this.
At 41:22, Rashid again presses the duo stating that fans have been appealing for tranparency for decades and yet this transparency has never materialized
Ronald Ngala dismisses the question by using the old argument that people who are not club members have no business demanding transparency.
He then says that transparency in ticket sales is not needed because fans can estimate gate collections by looking at how large the crowd is.
What is wrong with this scenario
Fans polled on social media and elsewhere have openly stated that they no longer attend matches because they think the money is lining the pockets of officials. The falling attendance is largely due to such concerns.
The same fans have also stated that they will not become paying members due to lack of transparency. Yet Mr. Rachier claims that its the culture of the fans that hinders fans from registering as members. Has he actually asked fans why they don’t become members?
To put it simply if club officials do not put in place mechanisms to assuage fans concerns about the opacity of club finances, attendance will continue to be low and membership will continue to lag. As things stand now, the club has only 274 paying members.
Fans have been asking for transparency for decades. Yours truly spoke to club officials about this in the late 1990s when the club started to spiral downwards. The then officials promised to implement transparency procedures. Nothing came of it.
Twenty years later the club officials still think the fans have no business questioning the use of the club’s finances. Incredible.
Many ideas have been floated including having an independent accounting
company audit and publish the club accounts on a regular basis.
Case in Point
When Gor Mahia played Hull City in May 2018, Kasarani stadium was filled to the brim. Which means as many as 60,000 fans attended. Yet the club treasurer announced that only 30,000 tickets were sold.
“In total, we sold 30, 000 tickets, and that includes both VIP and terrace tickets. I believe we could have sold more, but there were several complimentary tickets as well as several courtesy card holders who were allowed free access into the stadium. ” said Sally Bolo
It beggars belief that 30,000 fans paid and another 30,000 entered as courtesy card holders. Many fans cried foul. These issues can be addressed via more transparency (electronic ticketing).
Video
You can watch the entire video at this link
I just have one statement for Rachier, Ngala and whoever cares to listen. ” sustainability does not only have economic or financial front. It also has both social and psychological fronts. Unfortunately both the social and psychological fronts remain the major drivers of the economic /financial front. For any organization to be sustainable, it must be seen to be attractive and that is the social and psychological fronts.”
Bloggers i have a query here that might make it seem like am holding fort for EC but it’s the reality. GM has ONLY 274 registered and paid up annual members of the different corporate levels. This members are well known personally to the powers that be and their concerns are addressed since they engage each other regularly. Why don’t the green army members register as club members to the tune of even 1 Million or 500,000 annual paying members. If this happened all the concerns would be taken seriously and not brushed aside like “Yugii” check the tone AR and Ngala have responded with to the concerns raised by unregistered fans above. Being members is the only way to ensure to demand accountability from club leadership…
@Jasego, I agree. We can not demand for transparency on a business we don’t own. No matter how loud we shout, we shall achieve nothing. Let us register as club members then our voices shall be heard and we can have our way.
Amor, Piny mor, Polo bende Mor. For God and my beloved club – Kogallo
@Kosero & @Jasego: Welcome Borother Kosero ja Sofaset Branch. Comrade you have been missing for too long when Jasego and well meaning fans are being slaughtered by bloggers.
Meanwhile I do agree with @Jasego for posting the reality on the ground. It appears that only 274 are registered members of the club. This is shameful and regrettable as we are busy making lots of noises but we do not support the team in kind and might.
I do propose that all bloggers in this site need to register and quote their membership numbers before posting anything and frequenting/hitting this site.
@jasego thanx alot,i almost boxed the ec,but you cornered me.i would like to be a member how much do i pay and how do i do it.
I guess what Kosero is saying is that we don’t own the government therefore we cannot demand transparency and accountability. So if Waiguru and other corrupt people steal from government coffers., we cannot complain. Its amazing that we have such twisted logic.
If you have no transparency then Dont be surprised if nobody registers as a member. 10 years from now, the club chairman will still be on TV complaining that the club has no members.
These two douche bags are the reason why Gor Mahia is stagnant. Some time back I used to send money to 350100 but stopped because of lack of transparency and accountability.
And that Sally Bolo is another douche bag. I cannot donate my cash to enrich thieves.
How much does it cost to publish gate collection? Between registration and transparency which one comes first? Common sense dictates that good behavior attracts clients who then stick to and crave for your services and not vise vasa. Ignore openness and continue begging for your own selfish interest by bragging how you are helping the club. Only filthy deals are secret but open transactions are always beyond reproach.
Hehee…Gor is not a tax payer funded institution , so what is all the fuss about. Would you ask for transparency in a private business you are not a shareholder ? If there something we should all learn ln this life is that transparency begins with you and me. How many of you bloggers out here are transparent in their daily lives ? ….Would you care to tell the world…I guess NOT.
So, let us start with a simple transparency test……..My Gor silver Membership number is 156671 for records, show us yours ?
.
The thousands of gor fans who always attend matches cannot be compared to the 200 purported registered members. Why can’t Rachier and company block unregistered fans from attending matches and only allow members and see if things will be better? We demand for transparency because Gor is not an individual’s business entity.
Question: Do the 274 members get to see detailed audited accounts?
If not then it means that even if we become members, we will never know how the money is spent.
@Jatingare, @odhis muga and others…..yajowa ignorance will wipe all of us. Members get financial update in the annual AGM meeting. There is an AGM meeting coming next month, can you all quickly register and raise your questions in that forum ? This transparency is about you and me……
@Jakoyo are those financial updates AUDITED by an accounting company?
So if I am a member and Sally Bolo tells me that stadium has 60,000 people and gate collection was only Ksh 3.6 million, I should still believe her?
Maswali tu
Last time there was an AGM, somebody posted Rachier’s financial update here. It was not believable. And it made no mention of issues like what is happening with Gor Mahia SACCO
Now I concur with onr of the management tenets that organization leadership is a reflection of its followers. It is easy to see why Gor is the way it is.
If you are still doubtful of the tenet, just look at AFC leopards to understand my message.
Albert’s position that “We can not demand for transparency on a business we don’t own” is a valid point, but then ponder over Odhis Muga’s argument that “.Only filthy deals are secret but open transactions are always beyond reproach….” and that “Why can’t Rachier and company block unregistered fans from attending matches and only allow members and see if things will be better?……”
If one cannot be trusted with the little that they get from the 274, what will make them suddenly change and become saints when 10000 register?
If you continue to say that fans have no right to demand accountability then don’t be surprised if attendance continues to be low. And dont be surprised if nobody wants to become a member.
Kenyans today are jaded by corruption. When Harambee stars plays and entry is only Ksh 100, people don’t attend. But if entry is free then the stadium is full. Do you think its because Kenyans cant afford Ksh 200? No its because they think Mwendwa will pocket the money. The same applies to KPL.
Absolutely, Joe. Absolutely.
Let us register as member, why do we demand to know a bout gor when we are not members admin of this wall block non members ,kara man’s Jo abandu ingwe ema wuoyo ka nyisa uru pes registration GI kaka itime armor GI blogger monyiso mamba ne
Jamigori has made a great suggestion if I may quote: “I do propose that all bloggers in this site need to register and quote their membership numbers before posting anything and frequenting/hitting this site”. I am totally in support of this.
Dawaplus’ question that “. I would like to be a member how much do I pay and how do I do it” not only Demands an answer, but also highlights the EC’s antipathy towards recruitment of new members.
There are many like Dawaplus who visit this site hoping that it will lead them to register as members of Gor Mahia. They visit here because they don’t know of anywhere to go. How about if there was a portal for registration of members?
I will revert back with this process very soon just hold on abit i plot derby ingwe fallout first…