Re: [Wikimedia Kenya] Finances
Oscar , Thanks for addressing this matter that is threatening the future of WMKE , by your own admission things are not looking good, i even din't know Grace has left the group ,For our info Grace Abbas were just NOT ordinary members but founder members who contributed immensely to its project were in charge of various ongoing projects within WMKE ,we don't want to see an exodus of members ,do we ? Its wrong for anyone to try imagine that this matter can be swept under the floor ,When you guys assumed office we thought there will be a deliberate effort to speed up incorporation of WMKE , Questions ,Whats holding us/you from creating a joint account for WMKE as most of us are in support of the same ? ,What is the status of the incorporation ,We rooting for incorporation because other than defining roles ,We all know there are projects that involved WMKE relating with government non governmental organizations which cannot be possible if we are not a legal group. I don't know the procedures of calling for a meeting ,but i once again want to appeal to our chair to come up with a date ,soon is a proper word ,to address this issues ,we still believe in the board members ,but you should not continue behaving like its business as usual while people are opting out , Bruce, A volunteer WMKE. On 8/27/12, Limoke Oscar oslim...@gmail.com wrote: Bruce, Thank you for your kind request. Indeed it is unfortunate that Abbas had to leave the Chapter and this is just sign of the kind of murky waters you refer too. The Audit Committee does not exist yet after 2 of its members, Abbas and Grace (told) quit the Chapter. So we have to again call for volunteers. It is rather unfortunate that we as WMKE members dont like to be Critiqued, we prefer having issues sugar coated and personally I dont do that.The main reason why we got ourselves in this state in the first place is the failure of the Board( of which I am part of) and all WMKE members to do joint accountability and raise questions and demand answers. That said, I have deliberately avoided chiming in on this thread for the said reasons and I do hope that the persons and issues that have led us to this state have/or get resolved. David, As the Board Chair, can you convene a meeting to the same? On Sat, Aug 25, 2012 at 10:28 AM, Branton Obwari bruceobw...@gmail.comwrote: Thanks Asaf , for bringing this up , Was not privileged to attend the Saturday meeting but persuaded to believe it dint achieve much .There has been considerable noise on the matter of accountability of WMKE funds ,which is very healthy and can not be wished away . Permit me to use this forum to address the Board members whom members entrusted responsibility , there is work cut out for you ,We need you to steer us through this murky waters. your priority should be; 1.Set up a dedicated joint account for WMKE funds ASAP 2.Finalize the incorporation thing ,its unfortunate that Abbas who was taking care of this has since left ,who i must applaud for his immense contribution . And finally someone please update me on the status of the audit committee ,is in place ? if this is not done pretty soon we shall be asking ourselves ,...When did the rain start hitting us ? my concerns ,with love! bruce. On 8/25/12, Asaf Bartov abar...@wikimedia.org wrote: Dear WMKE colleagues, On Fri, Aug 10, 2012 at 11:22 AM, Asaf Bartov abar...@wikimedia.org wrote: Indeed, David's suggestion is good. Also, just to address Isaac's comment: _certainly_ Steve and all other office holders are primarily answerable to the board, and to the members. WMF is a side entity here, and the only reason I have requested and received the tracking sheet is that I was told the Saturday meeting exploded without actually finishing the review. I do hope WMKE can resolve this on its own, and am confident it can. It's been two weeks, and I have not heard anything further. Has this been resolved yet? Is there progress with setting up a dedicated joint account, for the interim until WMKE is fully incorporated? Thanks, Asaf -- Asaf Bartov Wikimedia Foundation http://www.wikimediafoundation.org Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality! https://donate.wikimedia.org ___ WikimediaKE mailing list WikimediaKE@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediake -- Regards, Limoke Oscar, Dream.Believe.Becomea world of endless oportunities ___ WikimediaKE mailing list WikimediaKE@lists.wikimedia.org
Re: [Wikimedia Kenya] Finances
Guys A meetup is being coordinated by myself and Ann, the secretary. David. On Mon, Aug 27, 2012 at 10:21 AM, Branton Obwari bruceobw...@gmail.comwrote: Oscar , Thanks for addressing this matter that is threatening the future of WMKE , by your own admission things are not looking good, i even din't know Grace has left the group ,For our info Grace Abbas were just NOT ordinary members but founder members who contributed immensely to its project were in charge of various ongoing projects within WMKE ,we don't want to see an exodus of members ,do we ? Its wrong for anyone to try imagine that this matter can be swept under the floor ,When you guys assumed office we thought there will be a deliberate effort to speed up incorporation of WMKE , Questions ,Whats holding us/you from creating a joint account for WMKE as most of us are in support of the same ? ,What is the status of the incorporation ,We rooting for incorporation because other than defining roles ,We all know there are projects that involved WMKE relating with government non governmental organizations which cannot be possible if we are not a legal group. I don't know the procedures of calling for a meeting ,but i once again want to appeal to our chair to come up with a date ,soon is a proper word ,to address this issues ,we still believe in the board members ,but you should not continue behaving like its business as usual while people are opting out , Bruce, A volunteer WMKE. On 8/27/12, Limoke Oscar oslim...@gmail.com wrote: Bruce, Thank you for your kind request. Indeed it is unfortunate that Abbas had to leave the Chapter and this is just sign of the kind of murky waters you refer too. The Audit Committee does not exist yet after 2 of its members, Abbas and Grace (told) quit the Chapter. So we have to again call for volunteers. It is rather unfortunate that we as WMKE members dont like to be Critiqued, we prefer having issues sugar coated and personally I dont do that.The main reason why we got ourselves in this state in the first place is the failure of the Board( of which I am part of) and all WMKE members to do joint accountability and raise questions and demand answers. That said, I have deliberately avoided chiming in on this thread for the said reasons and I do hope that the persons and issues that have led us to this state have/or get resolved. David, As the Board Chair, can you convene a meeting to the same? On Sat, Aug 25, 2012 at 10:28 AM, Branton Obwari bruceobw...@gmail.comwrote: Thanks Asaf , for bringing this up , Was not privileged to attend the Saturday meeting but persuaded to believe it dint achieve much .There has been considerable noise on the matter of accountability of WMKE funds ,which is very healthy and can not be wished away . Permit me to use this forum to address the Board members whom members entrusted responsibility , there is work cut out for you ,We need you to steer us through this murky waters. your priority should be; 1.Set up a dedicated joint account for WMKE funds ASAP 2.Finalize the incorporation thing ,its unfortunate that Abbas who was taking care of this has since left ,who i must applaud for his immense contribution . And finally someone please update me on the status of the audit committee ,is in place ? if this is not done pretty soon we shall be asking ourselves ,...When did the rain start hitting us ? my concerns ,with love! bruce. On 8/25/12, Asaf Bartov abar...@wikimedia.org wrote: Dear WMKE colleagues, On Fri, Aug 10, 2012 at 11:22 AM, Asaf Bartov abar...@wikimedia.org wrote: Indeed, David's suggestion is good. Also, just to address Isaac's comment: _certainly_ Steve and all other office holders are primarily answerable to the board, and to the members. WMF is a side entity here, and the only reason I have requested and received the tracking sheet is that I was told the Saturday meeting exploded without actually finishing the review. I do hope WMKE can resolve this on its own, and am confident it can. It's been two weeks, and I have not heard anything further. Has this been resolved yet? Is there progress with setting up a dedicated joint account, for the interim until WMKE is fully incorporated? Thanks, Asaf -- Asaf Bartov Wikimedia Foundation http://www.wikimediafoundation.org Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality! https://donate.wikimedia.org ___ WikimediaKE mailing list WikimediaKE@lists.wikimedia.org
Re: [Wikimedia Kenya] Finances
Bruce, Thank you for your kind request. Indeed it is unfortunate that Abbas had to leave the Chapter and this is just sign of the kind of murky waters you refer too. The Audit Committee does not exist yet after 2 of its members, Abbas and Grace (told) quit the Chapter. So we have to again call for volunteers. It is rather unfortunate that we as WMKE members dont like to be Critiqued, we prefer having issues sugar coated and personally I dont do that.The main reason why we got ourselves in this state in the first place is the failure of the Board( of which I am part of) and all WMKE members to do joint accountability and raise questions and demand answers. That said, I have deliberately avoided chiming in on this thread for the said reasons and I do hope that the persons and issues that have led us to this state have/or get resolved. David, As the Board Chair, can you convene a meeting to the same? On Sat, Aug 25, 2012 at 10:28 AM, Branton Obwari bruceobw...@gmail.comwrote: Thanks Asaf , for bringing this up , Was not privileged to attend the Saturday meeting but persuaded to believe it dint achieve much .There has been considerable noise on the matter of accountability of WMKE funds ,which is very healthy and can not be wished away . Permit me to use this forum to address the Board members whom members entrusted responsibility , there is work cut out for you ,We need you to steer us through this murky waters. your priority should be; 1.Set up a dedicated joint account for WMKE funds ASAP 2.Finalize the incorporation thing ,its unfortunate that Abbas who was taking care of this has since left ,who i must applaud for his immense contribution . And finally someone please update me on the status of the audit committee ,is in place ? if this is not done pretty soon we shall be asking ourselves ,...When did the rain start hitting us ? my concerns ,with love! bruce. On 8/25/12, Asaf Bartov abar...@wikimedia.org wrote: Dear WMKE colleagues, On Fri, Aug 10, 2012 at 11:22 AM, Asaf Bartov abar...@wikimedia.org wrote: Indeed, David's suggestion is good. Also, just to address Isaac's comment: _certainly_ Steve and all other office holders are primarily answerable to the board, and to the members. WMF is a side entity here, and the only reason I have requested and received the tracking sheet is that I was told the Saturday meeting exploded without actually finishing the review. I do hope WMKE can resolve this on its own, and am confident it can. It's been two weeks, and I have not heard anything further. Has this been resolved yet? Is there progress with setting up a dedicated joint account, for the interim until WMKE is fully incorporated? Thanks, Asaf -- Asaf Bartov Wikimedia Foundation http://www.wikimediafoundation.org Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality! https://donate.wikimedia.org ___ WikimediaKE mailing list WikimediaKE@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediake -- Regards, Limoke Oscar, Dream.Believe.Becomea world of endless oportunities ___ WikimediaKE mailing list WikimediaKE@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediake
Re: [Wikimedia Kenya] Finances
Thanks Asaf , for bringing this up , Was not privileged to attend the Saturday meeting but persuaded to believe it dint achieve much .There has been considerable noise on the matter of accountability of WMKE funds ,which is very healthy and can not be wished away . Permit me to use this forum to address the Board members whom members entrusted responsibility , there is work cut out for you ,We need you to steer us through this murky waters. your priority should be; 1.Set up a dedicated joint account for WMKE funds ASAP 2.Finalize the incorporation thing ,its unfortunate that Abbas who was taking care of this has since left ,who i must applaud for his immense contribution . And finally someone please update me on the status of the audit committee ,is in place ? if this is not done pretty soon we shall be asking ourselves ,...When did the rain start hitting us ? my concerns ,with love! bruce. On 8/25/12, Asaf Bartov abar...@wikimedia.org wrote: Dear WMKE colleagues, On Fri, Aug 10, 2012 at 11:22 AM, Asaf Bartov abar...@wikimedia.org wrote: Indeed, David's suggestion is good. Also, just to address Isaac's comment: _certainly_ Steve and all other office holders are primarily answerable to the board, and to the members. WMF is a side entity here, and the only reason I have requested and received the tracking sheet is that I was told the Saturday meeting exploded without actually finishing the review. I do hope WMKE can resolve this on its own, and am confident it can. It's been two weeks, and I have not heard anything further. Has this been resolved yet? Is there progress with setting up a dedicated joint account, for the interim until WMKE is fully incorporated? Thanks, Asaf -- Asaf Bartov Wikimedia Foundation http://www.wikimediafoundation.org Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality! https://donate.wikimedia.org ___ WikimediaKE mailing list WikimediaKE@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediake
Re: [Wikimedia Kenya] Finances
Asaf, We are planning on tackling this on the next meetup early September. David. On Sat, Aug 25, 2012 at 10:28 AM, Branton Obwari bruceobw...@gmail.comwrote: Thanks Asaf , for bringing this up , Was not privileged to attend the Saturday meeting but persuaded to believe it dint achieve much .There has been considerable noise on the matter of accountability of WMKE funds ,which is very healthy and can not be wished away . Permit me to use this forum to address the Board members whom members entrusted responsibility , there is work cut out for you ,We need you to steer us through this murky waters. your priority should be; 1.Set up a dedicated joint account for WMKE funds ASAP 2.Finalize the incorporation thing ,its unfortunate that Abbas who was taking care of this has since left ,who i must applaud for his immense contribution . And finally someone please update me on the status of the audit committee ,is in place ? if this is not done pretty soon we shall be asking ourselves ,...When did the rain start hitting us ? my concerns ,with love! bruce. On 8/25/12, Asaf Bartov abar...@wikimedia.org wrote: Dear WMKE colleagues, On Fri, Aug 10, 2012 at 11:22 AM, Asaf Bartov abar...@wikimedia.org wrote: Indeed, David's suggestion is good. Also, just to address Isaac's comment: _certainly_ Steve and all other office holders are primarily answerable to the board, and to the members. WMF is a side entity here, and the only reason I have requested and received the tracking sheet is that I was told the Saturday meeting exploded without actually finishing the review. I do hope WMKE can resolve this on its own, and am confident it can. It's been two weeks, and I have not heard anything further. Has this been resolved yet? Is there progress with setting up a dedicated joint account, for the interim until WMKE is fully incorporated? Thanks, Asaf -- Asaf Bartov Wikimedia Foundation http://www.wikimediafoundation.org Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality! https://donate.wikimedia.org ___ WikimediaKE mailing list WikimediaKE@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediake -- - David Mugo, Adviser to Kenya's VP on Digital Media Technology, CEO Board Chairman, Wikimedia Kenya http://mugo.me Twitter: @raidarmax ___ WikimediaKE mailing list WikimediaKE@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediake
Re: [Wikimedia Kenya] Finances
Hi Asaf, I think Steve should convince the board and WMKE members about the expenditure first before he does that to you. I hope that the WMKE chairperson will convene a meeting soon (If possible within 3 weeks) so that we can have the issue sorted and the remaining amount transferred to a joint account. I also hope that this meeting (when convened) will run smoothly. Best Isaac On 9 August 2012 00:59, Asaf Bartov abar...@wikimedia.org wrote: Dear WMKE colleagues, Following the recent conversations around finances, I wanted to make a few comments, hoping the uncertainty can be resolved: 1. We acknowledge it is an unfortunate situation where chapter funds are in anyone's personal bank account. In hindsight, WMF should have insisted a separate bank account be created to wire the money, even if not yet the official WMKE bank account. 1b. Now that that's done, we should seek to transfer the remaining grant funds to a dedicated account as soon as possible: either the WMKE account (if incorporation and the subsequent creation of the bank account seem around the corner -- any updates?), or an interim, joint-ownership dedicated account, with access to _at least_ two board members (one of whom would be the treasurer, of course). It would be good if the WMKE board can decide to pursue that course of action. 2. The current treasurer has sent me his tracking sheet of the grant funds, and it generally looks in good order. I hope the board has a copy too and can review as well. 3. The treasurer did confirm he has made some decisions to spend money (for chapter business) on his own, without board approval, citing previous experience with sending messages to the list and receiving no response for days. This is _not okay_. The way to fix this, now, is for the board to review all those spending decisions and _retroactively_ approve them (unless there's genuine concern about the expense). If there are expenses the board does not approve _per se_ (i.e. on material rather than procedural grounds), the treasurer will have to return those funds to the chapter. 3b. The board would do well to discuss and establish a clear procedure for authorizing expenses. When it's everybody's job it's nobody's job. Once a procedure is adopted, the board members should _commit to following_ that procedure, as it would be unfair to the treasurer (already doing much unenviable work for the rest of us) to leave his requests hanging. 4. I have no reason to think the current treasurer has otherwise mishandled funds. Unless anyone has material proof to the contrary, we shall assume good faith, and once funds are transferred to a separate account, a full audit by the board can confirm this to everyone's satisfaction. 5. I understood there have been some payments to chapter members for expenses incurred, that have been issued on the understanding receipts will be furnished, but the treasurer is still awaiting receipts from several members. That, too, is _not okay_. Please submit your receipts to the treasurer as soon as possible. If you ever received a reimbursement from the treasurer and you're not sure whether or not you owe any receipts, please contact the treasurer privately to make sure. 6. I also understand there is some confusion about per diem allowances and receipts: the usual way per diems work is that the rate is determined by the board (You can use the WMF travel policy[1] if it helps), and then money is disbursed according to the number of days (deducting appropriate amounts when meals are provided, as in the case of lunches in Berlin and at Wikimania), but _no receipts_ are required. This as distinct from other expenses, which do require receipts. The rationale for this flexibility is that on the one hand there are all kinds of small unforeseen expenses, including (in some places) expenses that don't issue receipts (like the matatu :)), that are not specifically budgeted for in the per diem, and on the other hand the allowance is enough to cover them, without requiring minute record-keeping. This is easier for both sides, and is based on trust and good judgment. But that's just the usual way, and it's fine if WMKE chooses to commit to providing receipts for per diems as well. I hope this helps WMKE move forward toward incorporation and program activity with clarity and confidence. As always, please let me know if there's anything I can do to help. Cheers, Asaf [1] http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Travel_policy -- specifically, guideline 7 under ALLOWANCES FOR MEALS AND INCIDENTALS -- Asaf Bartov Wikimedia Foundation http://www.wikimediafoundation.org Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality! https://donate.wikimedia.org ___ WikimediaKE mailing list WikimediaKE@lists.wikimedia.org
Re: [Wikimedia Kenya] Finances
Guys, Like I said before you guys all decided not to listen to me, this is a responsibility of the board, Steve is a member of the board and his actions directly reflect on the board. I am not for the idea of solving issues with meetings where members want to fight. That is not how things run. My suggestion is that Steve should answer to the board on all transactions, then the board can answer the the audit committee who should take up concerns from the members. In the event that his response is not satisfactory or requires action, the said action can be decided either by the rest of the board or the entire team. I am one person who is really getting tired of the push and pull in this issue. PS. No one write me a personal email on this anymore, if you have anything to say, I stand by what i have mentioned in this email, post it to the mailing list. David. On Fri, Aug 10, 2012 at 8:59 AM, Kosgei Isaac kipchogekos...@gmail.comwrote: Hi Asaf, I think Steve should convince the board and WMKE members about the expenditure first before he does that to you. I hope that the WMKE chairperson will convene a meeting soon (If possible within 3 weeks) so that we can have the issue sorted and the remaining amount transferred to a joint account. I also hope that this meeting (when convened) will run smoothly. Best Isaac On 9 August 2012 00:59, Asaf Bartov abar...@wikimedia.org wrote: Dear WMKE colleagues, Following the recent conversations around finances, I wanted to make a few comments, hoping the uncertainty can be resolved: 1. We acknowledge it is an unfortunate situation where chapter funds are in anyone's personal bank account. In hindsight, WMF should have insisted a separate bank account be created to wire the money, even if not yet the official WMKE bank account. 1b. Now that that's done, we should seek to transfer the remaining grant funds to a dedicated account as soon as possible: either the WMKE account (if incorporation and the subsequent creation of the bank account seem around the corner -- any updates?), or an interim, joint-ownership dedicated account, with access to _at least_ two board members (one of whom would be the treasurer, of course). It would be good if the WMKE board can decide to pursue that course of action. 2. The current treasurer has sent me his tracking sheet of the grant funds, and it generally looks in good order. I hope the board has a copy too and can review as well. 3. The treasurer did confirm he has made some decisions to spend money (for chapter business) on his own, without board approval, citing previous experience with sending messages to the list and receiving no response for days. This is _not okay_. The way to fix this, now, is for the board to review all those spending decisions and _retroactively_ approve them (unless there's genuine concern about the expense). If there are expenses the board does not approve _per se_ (i.e. on material rather than procedural grounds), the treasurer will have to return those funds to the chapter. 3b. The board would do well to discuss and establish a clear procedure for authorizing expenses. When it's everybody's job it's nobody's job. Once a procedure is adopted, the board members should _commit to following_ that procedure, as it would be unfair to the treasurer (already doing much unenviable work for the rest of us) to leave his requests hanging. 4. I have no reason to think the current treasurer has otherwise mishandled funds. Unless anyone has material proof to the contrary, we shall assume good faith, and once funds are transferred to a separate account, a full audit by the board can confirm this to everyone's satisfaction. 5. I understood there have been some payments to chapter members for expenses incurred, that have been issued on the understanding receipts will be furnished, but the treasurer is still awaiting receipts from several members. That, too, is _not okay_. Please submit your receipts to the treasurer as soon as possible. If you ever received a reimbursement from the treasurer and you're not sure whether or not you owe any receipts, please contact the treasurer privately to make sure. 6. I also understand there is some confusion about per diem allowances and receipts: the usual way per diems work is that the rate is determined by the board (You can use the WMF travel policy[1] if it helps), and then money is disbursed according to the number of days (deducting appropriate amounts when meals are provided, as in the case of lunches in Berlin and at Wikimania), but _no receipts_ are required. This as distinct from other expenses, which do require receipts. The rationale for this flexibility is that on the one hand there are all kinds of small unforeseen expenses, including (in some places) expenses that don't issue receipts (like the matatu :)), that are not specifically budgeted for in the per diem, and on the other hand
Re: [Wikimedia Kenya] Finances
+1 What our chair has (repeatedly) suggested is common procedure in other organisations registered in Kenya. So, let's go forward with his suggestion! (Incidentally, this requires the establishment of an audit committee - or have I missed that happening already?) BT _ From: David Mugo [mailto:raidar...@gmail.com] Sent: 10 August 2012 09:16 To: The discussion list for the Wikimedia Kenya chapter. Subject: Re: [Wikimedia Kenya] Finances Guys, Like I said before you guys all decided not to listen to me, this is a responsibility of the board, Steve is a member of the board and his actions directly reflect on the board. I am not for the idea of solving issues with meetings where members want to fight. That is not how things run. My suggestion is that Steve should answer to the board on all transactions, then the board can answer the the audit committee who should take up concerns from the members. In the event that his response is not satisfactory or requires action, the said action can be decided either by the rest of the board or the entire team. I am one person who is really getting tired of the push and pull in this issue. PS. No one write me a personal email on this anymore, if you have anything to say, I stand by what i have mentioned in this email, post it to the mailing list. David. On Fri, Aug 10, 2012 at 8:59 AM, Kosgei Isaac kipchogekos...@gmail.com wrote: Hi Asaf, I think Steve should convince the board and WMKE members about the expenditure first before he does that to you. I hope that the WMKE chairperson will convene a meeting soon (If possible within 3 weeks) so that we can have the issue sorted and the remaining amount transferred to a joint account. I also hope that this meeting (when convened) will run smoothly. Best Isaac On 9 August 2012 00:59, Asaf Bartov abar...@wikimedia.org wrote: Dear WMKE colleagues, Following the recent conversations around finances, I wanted to make a few comments, hoping the uncertainty can be resolved: 1. We acknowledge it is an unfortunate situation where chapter funds are in anyone's personal bank account. In hindsight, WMF should have insisted a separate bank account be created to wire the money, even if not yet the official WMKE bank account. 1b. Now that that's done, we should seek to transfer the remaining grant funds to a dedicated account as soon as possible: either the WMKE account (if incorporation and the subsequent creation of the bank account seem around the corner -- any updates?), or an interim, joint-ownership dedicated account, with access to _at least_ two board members (one of whom would be the treasurer, of course). It would be good if the WMKE board can decide to pursue that course of action. 2. The current treasurer has sent me his tracking sheet of the grant funds, and it generally looks in good order. I hope the board has a copy too and can review as well. 3. The treasurer did confirm he has made some decisions to spend money (for chapter business) on his own, without board approval, citing previous experience with sending messages to the list and receiving no response for days. This is _not okay_. The way to fix this, now, is for the board to review all those spending decisions and _retroactively_ approve them (unless there's genuine concern about the expense). If there are expenses the board does not approve _per se_ (i.e. on material rather than procedural grounds), the treasurer will have to return those funds to the chapter. 3b. The board would do well to discuss and establish a clear procedure for authorizing expenses. When it's everybody's job it's nobody's job. Once a procedure is adopted, the board members should _commit to following_ that procedure, as it would be unfair to the treasurer (already doing much unenviable work for the rest of us) to leave his requests hanging. 4. I have no reason to think the current treasurer has otherwise mishandled funds. Unless anyone has material proof to the contrary, we shall assume good faith, and once funds are transferred to a separate account, a full audit by the board can confirm this to everyone's satisfaction. 5. I understood there have been some payments to chapter members for expenses incurred, that have been issued on the understanding receipts will be furnished, but the treasurer is still awaiting receipts from several members. That, too, is _not okay_. Please submit your receipts to the treasurer as soon as possible. If you ever received a reimbursement from the treasurer and you're not sure whether or not you owe any receipts, please contact the treasurer privately to make sure. 6. I also understand there is some confusion about per diem allowances and receipts: the usual way per diems work is that the rate is determined by the board (You can use the WMF travel policy[1] if it helps), and then money is disbursed according to the number of days (deducting appropriate amounts when meals
Re: [Wikimedia Kenya] Finances
Indeed, David's suggestion is good. Also, just to address Isaac's comment: _certainly_ Steve and all other office holders are primarily answerable to the board, and to the members. WMF is a side entity here, and the only reason I have requested and received the tracking sheet is that I was told the Saturday meeting exploded without actually finishing the review. I do hope WMKE can resolve this on its own, and am confident it can. Cheers, Asaf On Fri, Aug 10, 2012 at 9:41 AM, Oliver Stegen i...@oliverstegen.netwrote: ** ** ** +1 ** ** What our chair has (repeatedly) suggested is common procedure in other organisations registered in Kenya. So, let’s go forward with his suggestion! (Incidentally, this requires the establishment of an audit committee – or have I missed that happening already?) ** ** BT ** ** -- *From:* David Mugo [mailto:raidar...@gmail.com] *Sent:* 10 August 2012 09:16 *To:* **The discussion list for the Wikimedia Kenya chapter.** *Subject:* Re: [Wikimedia Kenya] Finances ** ** Guys, Like I said before you guys all decided not to listen to me, this is a responsibility of the board, Steve is a member of the board and his actions directly reflect on the board. I am not for the idea of solving issues with meetings where members want to fight. That is not how things run. My suggestion is that Steve should answer to the board on all transactions, then the board can answer the the audit committee who should take up concerns from the members. In the event that his response is not satisfactory or requires action, the said action can be decided either by the rest of the board or the entire team. I am one person who is really getting tired of the push and pull in this issue. PS. No one write me a personal email on this anymore, if you have anything to say, I stand by what i have mentioned in this email, post it to the mailing list. David. On Fri, Aug 10, 2012 at 8:59 AM, Kosgei Isaac kipchogekos...@gmail.com wrote: Hi Asaf, I think Steve should convince the board and WMKE members about the expenditure first before he does that to you. I hope that the WMKE chairperson will convene a meeting soon (If possible within 3 weeks) so that we can have the issue sorted and the remaining amount transferred to a joint account. I also hope that this meeting (when convened) will run smoothly. Best Isaac On 9 August 2012 00:59, Asaf Bartov abar...@wikimedia.org wrote: Dear WMKE colleagues, ** ** Following the recent conversations around finances, I wanted to make a few comments, hoping the uncertainty can be resolved: ** ** 1. We acknowledge it is an unfortunate situation where chapter funds are in anyone's personal bank account. In hindsight, WMF should have insisted a separate bank account be created to wire the money, even if not yet the official WMKE bank account. ** ** 1b. Now that that's done, we should seek to transfer the remaining grant funds to a dedicated account as soon as possible: either the WMKE account (if incorporation and the subsequent creation of the bank account seem around the corner -- any updates?), or an interim, joint-ownership dedicated account, with access to _at least_ two board members (one of whom would be the treasurer, of course). It would be good if the WMKE board can decide to pursue that course of action. ** ** 2. The current treasurer has sent me his tracking sheet of the grant funds, and it generally looks in good order. I hope the board has a copy too and can review as well. ** ** 3. The treasurer did confirm he has made some decisions to spend money (for chapter business) on his own, without board approval, citing previous experience with sending messages to the list and receiving no response for days. This is _not okay_. The way to fix this, now, is for the board to review all those spending decisions and _retroactively_ approve them (unless there's genuine concern about the expense). If there are expenses the board does not approve _per se_ (i.e. on material rather than procedural grounds), the treasurer will have to return those funds to the chapter. ** ** 3b. The board would do well to discuss and establish a clear procedure for authorizing expenses. When it's everybody's job it's nobody's job. Once a procedure is adopted, the board members should _commit to following_ that procedure, as it would be unfair to the treasurer (already doing much unenviable work for the rest of us) to leave his requests hanging. ** ** 4. I have no reason to think the current treasurer has otherwise mishandled funds. Unless anyone has material proof to the contrary, we shall assume good faith, and once funds are transferred to a separate account, a full audit by the board can confirm this to everyone's satisfaction. ** ** 5. I understood
[Wikimedia Kenya] Finances
Dear WMKE colleagues, Following the recent conversations around finances, I wanted to make a few comments, hoping the uncertainty can be resolved: 1. We acknowledge it is an unfortunate situation where chapter funds are in anyone's personal bank account. In hindsight, WMF should have insisted a separate bank account be created to wire the money, even if not yet the official WMKE bank account. 1b. Now that that's done, we should seek to transfer the remaining grant funds to a dedicated account as soon as possible: either the WMKE account (if incorporation and the subsequent creation of the bank account seem around the corner -- any updates?), or an interim, joint-ownership dedicated account, with access to _at least_ two board members (one of whom would be the treasurer, of course). It would be good if the WMKE board can decide to pursue that course of action. 2. The current treasurer has sent me his tracking sheet of the grant funds, and it generally looks in good order. I hope the board has a copy too and can review as well. 3. The treasurer did confirm he has made some decisions to spend money (for chapter business) on his own, without board approval, citing previous experience with sending messages to the list and receiving no response for days. This is _not okay_. The way to fix this, now, is for the board to review all those spending decisions and _retroactively_ approve them (unless there's genuine concern about the expense). If there are expenses the board does not approve _per se_ (i.e. on material rather than procedural grounds), the treasurer will have to return those funds to the chapter. 3b. The board would do well to discuss and establish a clear procedure for authorizing expenses. When it's everybody's job it's nobody's job. Once a procedure is adopted, the board members should _commit to following_ that procedure, as it would be unfair to the treasurer (already doing much unenviable work for the rest of us) to leave his requests hanging. 4. I have no reason to think the current treasurer has otherwise mishandled funds. Unless anyone has material proof to the contrary, we shall assume good faith, and once funds are transferred to a separate account, a full audit by the board can confirm this to everyone's satisfaction. 5. I understood there have been some payments to chapter members for expenses incurred, that have been issued on the understanding receipts will be furnished, but the treasurer is still awaiting receipts from several members. That, too, is _not okay_. Please submit your receipts to the treasurer as soon as possible. If you ever received a reimbursement from the treasurer and you're not sure whether or not you owe any receipts, please contact the treasurer privately to make sure. 6. I also understand there is some confusion about per diem allowances and receipts: the usual way per diems work is that the rate is determined by the board (You can use the WMF travel policy[1] if it helps), and then money is disbursed according to the number of days (deducting appropriate amounts when meals are provided, as in the case of lunches in Berlin and at Wikimania), but _no receipts_ are required. This as distinct from other expenses, which do require receipts. The rationale for this flexibility is that on the one hand there are all kinds of small unforeseen expenses, including (in some places) expenses that don't issue receipts (like the matatu :)), that are not specifically budgeted for in the per diem, and on the other hand the allowance is enough to cover them, without requiring minute record-keeping. This is easier for both sides, and is based on trust and good judgment. But that's just the usual way, and it's fine if WMKE chooses to commit to providing receipts for per diems as well. I hope this helps WMKE move forward toward incorporation and program activity with clarity and confidence. As always, please let me know if there's anything I can do to help. Cheers, Asaf [1] http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Travel_policy -- specifically, guideline 7 under ALLOWANCES FOR MEALS AND INCIDENTALS -- Asaf Bartov Wikimedia Foundation http://www.wikimediafoundation.org Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality! https://donate.wikimedia.org ___ WikimediaKE mailing list WikimediaKE@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediake
Re: [Wikimedia Kenya] Finances
@Asaf n all WMKE members, As outlined by Asaf below, i do second his ideas of managing WKME finances. It should be noted that if anyone has issues regarding the mismanagement of finances should kindly provide facts supporting their accusation if any does not like the way things are done, they should raise the issue immediately for proper clarification or correction steps to be undertaken. Regards, Mabiria David On 2012-08-08 17:59, Asaf Bartov wrote: Dear WMKE colleagues, Following the recent conversations around finances, I wanted to make a few comments, hoping the uncertainty can be resolved: 1. We acknowledge it is an unfortunate situation where chapter funds are in anyone's personal bank account. In hindsight, WMF should have insisted a separate bank account be created to wire the money, even if not yet the official WMKE bank account. 1b. Now that that's done, we should seek to transfer the remaining grant funds to a dedicated account as soon as possible: either the WMKE account (if incorporation and the subsequent creation of the bank account seem around the corner -- any updates?), or an interim, joint-ownership dedicated account, with access to _at least_ two board members (one of whom would be the treasurer, of course). It would be good if the WMKE board can decide to pursue that course of action. 2. The current treasurer has sent me his tracking sheet of the grant funds, and it generally looks in good order. I hope the board has a copy too and can review as well. 3. The treasurer did confirm he has made some decisions to spend money (for chapter business) on his own, without board approval, citing previous experience with sending messages to the list and receiving no response for days. This is _not okay_. The way to fix this, now, is for the board to review all those spending decisions and _retroactively_ approve them (unless there's genuine concern about the expense). If there are expenses the board does not approve _per se_ (i.e. on material rather than procedural grounds), the treasurer will have to return those funds to the chapter. 3b. The board would do well to discuss and establish a clear procedure for authorizing expenses. When it's everybody's job it's nobody's job. Once a procedure is adopted, the board members should _commit to following_ that procedure, as it would be unfair to the treasurer (already doing much unenviable work for the rest of us) to leave his requests hanging. 4. I have no reason to think the current treasurer has otherwise mishandled funds. Unless anyone has material proof to the contrary, we shall assume good faith, and once funds are transferred to a separate account, a full audit by the board can confirm this to everyone's satisfaction. 5. I understood there have been some payments to chapter members for expenses incurred, that have been issued on the understanding receipts will be furnished, but the treasurer is still awaiting receipts from several members. That, too, is _not okay_. Please submit your receipts to the treasurer as soon as possible. If you ever received a reimbursement from the treasurer and you're not sure whether or not you owe any receipts, please contact the treasurer privately to make sure. 6. I also understand there is some confusion about per diem allowances and receipts: the usual way per diems work is that the rate is determined by the board (You can use the WMF travel policy[1] if it helps), and then money is disbursed according to the number of days (deducting appropriate amounts when meals are provided, as in the case of lunches in Berlin and at Wikimania), but _no receipts_ are required. This as distinct from other expenses, which do require receipts. The rationale for this flexibility is that on the one hand there are all kinds of small unforeseen expenses, including (in some places) expenses that don't issue receipts (like the matatu :)), that are not specifically budgeted for in the per diem, and on the other hand the allowance is enough to cover them, without requiring minute record-keeping. This is easier for both sides, and is based on trust and good judgment. But that's just the usual way, and it's fine if WMKE chooses to commit to providing receipts for per diems as well. I hope this helps WMKE move forward toward incorporation and program activity with clarity and confidence. As always, please let me know if there's anything I can do to help. Cheers, Asaf [1] http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Travel_policy [1] -- specifically, guideline 7 under ALLOWANCES FOR MEALS AND INCIDENTALS -- Asaf Bartov Wikimedia Foundation [2] Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality! https://donate.wikimedia.org [3] Links: -- [1] http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Travel_policy [2] http://www.wikimediafoundation.org [3] https://donate.wikimedia.org
