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Police question Leopards coach over Covid-19 measures


AFC Leopards assistant coach Tom Juma was among two administrators taken for questioning by authorities after the team was busted training contrary to the Covid-19 containment measures on Thursday.

Nairobi News understands the players had to scale over the fence of the training ground in Jericho estate, Nairobi, to escape arrest after about half a dozen officers arrived aboard a truck. Juma was still being questioned by 2pm, three hours after the police took him.

Leopards coach Patrick Aussems left the country three weeks ago for his native Belgium.

President Uhuru Kenyatta on March 26 indefinitely suspended all sports activities in the country in a move he said was aimed at curbing the increase in Covid-19 positive cases.

In effect, all football activities including the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League matches remain suspended in the country, in a decision that has left thousands of footballers without income.

And on Wednesday, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe announced that the blanket ban on sports events will be enforced until the Covid-19 rates reduce in the country.

The country has been registering about 1000 new infections and 10 deaths on a daily basis for the past month.

“There is a lot of pressure on the government to open up the sports industry but such a decision must be led by facts and science, not feelings,” he stressed.

“We know ourselves better. (In the event we allow sports to restart) You will see some people instead of isolating themselves, you spot them in the sports areas contacting themselves. As much as we sympathise with our athletes, we have no choice other than to keep the containment measures at least until we come down to a level that is understandable.”