Nairobi News

SportsWhat's Hot

Government now steps in to bail out Stars after FKF abdicates duties


The Kenyan Government has taken over the responsibility of managing the national football team with immediate effect.

This move was announced by Sports Cabinet Secretary Dr Hassan Wario on Thursday evening.

“We will henceforth pay players allowances, return air tickets and meet the team’s other expenditure. Our aim is to ensure our Fifa rankings and overall performances improves,” Wario said.

According to the Dr Wario, a board consisting civil servants will be constituted in the near future to take up the responsibility of managing the team.

The development is the clearest effort yet from the government to intervene in the running of the team in the face of Football Kenya Federation’s haphazard style of management.

The national team’s training camp has lately been rocked by turmoil ranging from delay in payments of salaries and allowances and disciplinary issues.

FEDERATION’S FAILURE

Only last week, Nairobi News highlighted the plight of Harambee Stars players who were deserted by the federation moments after the team’s 5-2 aggregate win over Mauritius in a 2018 World Cup qualifying match.

The players, led by team captain Victor Wanyama, publicly criticized for the federation’s failure to refund foreign based members of the team their air tickets as well as non-payment of the players’ allowances.

But while reacting to the new development,  FKF President Sam Nyamweya insisted that it was the government’s responsibility to take care of the team.

“This is not news. Harambee Stars belong to the government and that is something they ought to have done from the word go,” Nyamweya said.

Kenya will play against Cape Verde in the next round of the World Cup qualifiers in November. The team will then head to Ethiopia to defend their Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup title.