Vihiga United players in despair after going for months without pay
Despite posting good results in the National Super League (NSL) this season, Vihiga United players are disgruntled and suffering as they have gone for over five months without pay.
A player who spoke to Nairobi News anonymously for fear of victimization revealed they haven’t paid a single cent since November last year.
“We keep getting endless promises since November but really none has ever been fulfilled. It is a struggle for the players and their families and the county government doesn’t seem to care,” the player said.
“We have had several meetings with the concerned parties from the county but they keep lying. We are tired, hungry, disappointed, and stressed. We just need to be paid what we are owed so that we can clear bills,” he added.
The club chairman Indimuli Kahi confirmed the situation was dire.
“I can confirm the players have not been paid since November to date. We have had many meetings even with the governor Wilberforce Otichilo but nothing has moved – the situation remains the same and I can feel the players’ pain,” he said.
“We hope to convene another meeting soon and hopefully we will get a solution,” he added.
PLAYERS’ SIT-IN
A source informed Nairobi News that several players staged a sit-in at the governor’s office on Wednesday in an effort to get the issue sorted.
Efforts to reach out to the Vihiga County Chief Sports Officer Dominic Luvavo for a comment on the matter were unfruitful as calls and texts went unanswered.
Vihiga United and Vihiga Queens, a team that plays in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Women’s Premier League (WPL) were the brainchild of former Governor Reverend Moses Akaranga, a lover of sports who even travelled across the country back then to watch the teams play in their respective leagues.
After he was trounced by Otichilo during the 2017 General Elections, Akaranga revamped Vihiga Bullets – a team that is in the NSL too, currently ninth with 36 points having played 26 matches.
Vihiga United is third on the NSL standings with 52 points having played 25 matches.