FKF, KPL wrangles serve up greed, impunity to loyal fans

Fans of Gor Mahia and Madagascar’s CNaPS follow action between their teams in the first leg preliminary match of the 2015 Caf Champions League at Nyayo National Stadium on February 14, 2015. Gor won 1-0. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU |

What you need to know:

  • Due to the court cases, there are no KPL games this weekend.
  • However, the FKF’s watered down Premier League will continue.

After witnessing the extraordinary scenes in local football this week, you have to wonder if certain administrators, particularly in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF), need to go for psychological evaluation, because how else can you explain the greed and blatant impunity witnessed over the last seven days or so?

The war between the FKF and Kenyan Premier League Limited (KPL) moved from being face-to-face to the corridors of justice.

First it was the FKF who went to court and got an injunction against the KPL from running their league.

This was swiftly responded to by the KPL and the hearing is set for Tuesday.

However, the KPL’s strength is that the national federation last year wrote to Chief Justice Willy Mutunga telling him that Fifa statutes forbid football disputes being taken to court.

However, barely six months later, it is the federation which has initiated the court proceedings itself.

These shenanigans have brought matters to a halt on the field, which has left players disgruntled and they have taken their grievances to social media.

Three of the high profile overseas-based players — Victor Wanyama, Arnold Origi and Dennis Oliech — have added their voices, with Origi in particular not mincing his words.

This is their livelihood and there is a need for a strong body to protect their needs. The Kenya Footballers’ Welfare Association (Kefwa) is weak and unattractive to players.

The leadership consists of ex-footballers, but that is not enough to encourage players to join.

The body needs managers to run it and implement strong policies.

Time will tell whether this body will grow stronger or will another one be created to fill the vacuum?

Without a strong body the players’ loyalties will be split, which could lead to a very unhealthy situation.

In the meantime, due to the court cases, there are no KPL games this weekend, although the FKF’s watered down Premier League will continue.

The FKF also sunk to new lows by announcing that Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards would participate in their league, which was strongly resisted by both teams.

The inducement to the FKF league was a Sh1 million grant to each team by close of business on Tuesday.

In contrast, the ruling body still owes referees money from last season, and this comes despite them threatening officials who officiate in KPL-organised matches.

The FKF has allegedly been paid Sh27 million by their broadcast agents MP & Silva, but can’t promise them a televised league that comprises top teams AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia.

Speaking of Gor, the league’s defending champions and domestic Cup winners Sofapaka are participating in the return legs of continental competitions this weekend.

K’Ogalo carry a 1-0 lead to Madagascar against CNaPS in the Champions League, while Sofapaka need to overturn a 2-1 deficit in Zimbabwe against FC Platinum in the Confederation Cup.

Back here, AFC Leopards’ drama continues, with players going on strike over outstanding allowances, while factions wash their dirty linen in public as they fight for control of the club.

At the national level, the Harambee Stars Under-23 team left the country this week to play Egypt in an All Africa Games qualifier in Cairo, although the squad will be missing Gor and Sofapaka players for tomorrow’s match.

RUGBY'S NEW DAWN BECKONS

Rugby could be set for a major boost at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) after former chairman Richard Omwela this week announced that he was running for the top seat on March 17.

Omwela was instrumental in laying the groundwork for much of what is in place at the Kenya Rugby Union, including the Kenya Sevens playing at the highest level globally.

It was Omwela who controversially decided to lay most of the emphasis on sevens rugby, which has paid dividends in this discipline but left the traditional 15s game largely stagnant.

The sport has grown massively since his departure in 2011, although the image has taken a battering with allegations of corruption and bad behaviour leading to resignations and court cases, which led to sponsors being jittery.

Omwela is a highly respected lawyer, but should he be elected he’ll have his work cut out in trying to heal a sport that is deeply wounded, along with attempt to clean up the finances that are frankly in a mess.

As the game has grown, so has the politics. ‘Brief-case’ clubs have sprung up, and as we saw during the ill-fated Special General Meeting, these ‘clubs’ can present a constitutional headache when ultilised.

Omwela will be running against former vice-chairman Sasha Mutai, who recently tried to gain control of the Union at the SGM. Both men have worked together at the board, but they’ll be highly skeptical of each other, particularly after the events of recent weeks when Mutai took the current board to court to argue his case for the results of the SGM.

Whilst both men are successful in their work fields (Mutai is a quantity surveyor), emotions will run high at the AGM in a few weeks, and one man will definitely walk out of that meeting with his pride hugely dented.

A NEW STAR IS BORN

Tapio Laukkanen’s win at last weekend’s KCB Kisumu Rally certainly surprised a lot of outsiders, but wasn’t too much of a shock to the motorsports fraternity.

Born in Lahti, Finland, Laukkanen is a former Finnish and British championship winner. He owns his own rally driving school in his native country and is training a few of our upcoming stars like Rajbir and OnkarRai locally.

Expect him to give our established drivers a hard time as he’s got a competition licence and will be contesting the rest of the national championship in his Subaru.

The likes of Baldev Chager, Carl ‘Flash’ Tundo and Ian Duncan must be secretly plotting on how to topple this highly experienced driver. The Safari Rally over Easter will be very interesting!

Sean Cardovillis, Sports Editor and presenter at Nation FM, can be reached on [email protected]