Michael Olunga accuses Musingu High of abducting academy footballer
By Winnie MabelA football coach who is part of the famed Musingu High School fraternity in Kakamega County is battling accusations of kidnapping a scholarship beneficiary being sponsored by football legend Michael Olunga.
In a lawyer’s demand letter dated February 19, 2024, and addressed to the Musingu High School principal, the Musingu coach was accused- together with an unnamed village coach- of taking the boy out of St Mary’s Yala where he was originally sponsored to study, and taking him to Musingu without seeking any permissions or alerting anyone of their intentions.
“We are aware that the said minor was admitted as a student at St Mary’s Yala with the scholarship of Michael Olunga Football Association. This information is well within your knowledge. We are informed that your football coach, together with the village coach went to St Marys Yala and lied to the administration that the said minor had lost his sister and was needed home for the funeral and burial, and thus abducted him,” read the lawyer’s letter in demand.
The letter further went on to state that the coach took the minor out of school and admitted him at Musingu High as a form one student without his parent’s permission and in total disregard of the law and warnings from the principal of St Mary’s Yala.
“You violate the rights of the minor and thus, we hereby demand that the said minor be returned to his rightful school immediately. Failure to which we shall proceed to take legal action both against the school and the individuals concerned with the abduction of the minor” concluded the letter from Wambilanga, Majani, and Associates Advocates.
The Michael Olunga Football Academy, founded by the Qatar-based Harambee Stars’ Captain himself, works to develop football talent and the education of beneficiaries between the ages of 10 and 18.
The Academy, situated in Othoro, Homa Bay County, partners with schools as part of their mentorship program and their pioneer schools included St Mary’s Yala, Siaya, Agoro Sare in Homa Bay, and Kisumu Day in Kisumu County.
The Michael Olunga Football Academy also has a football club that competes in the Football Kenya Federation’s National Division One League.
It currently has eight players from St Mary’s and four from Kisumu Day. They are seeking to work with additional schools.
Western Kenya, and especially Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia, and Nyanza regions are a bedrock of talent.
Thus, several school and academies are known to camp there in search of talent, while dangling goodies such as free education to the talented youngsters in return.
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