Alfred Mutua bans Gor Mahia from Machakos
Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua inspects a car damage after the chaotic Kenya Premier League match between Sofapaka and Gor Mahia. PHOTO | COURTESY
Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua has banned Gor Mahia from playing matches in Machakos County following fan unrest on Sunday during their match against Sofapaka.
The governor also fined the club Sh10 million for damage caused by their fans during the highly charged match at Kenyatta Stadium.
Mr Mutua made the announcement on Monday after assessing the damage caused by the fans to property outside the stadium.
He said the ban was a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of the residents and their property.
"Gor Mahia is a good football club. However, the behaviour of its fans is despicable and unacceptable. We don't want to wait until someone is killed for us to take action," said Dr Mutua.
Gor Mahia fans ran for cover during the team's chaotic Kenya Premier League match against Sofapaka FC at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos on October 26, 2014. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
CONDITIONS
The governor said the ban would only be lifted if in future the team negotiates with the county government and places a bond of between Sh10 million to 20 million to be used for compensation in case of damages.
Dr Mutua said the police were also studying CCTV footage in order to arrest and charge those responsible for the destruction of property.
The governor said he has written a letter to the club informing them of the decision.
The windows of shops located opposite the stadium's entrance were smashed by fans. A saloon car and a motorbike were also burnt as the fans engaged police in running battles outside the stadium.
The chaos broke out towards the dying minutes of the game when Sofapaka scored the second goal.
Sofapaka players who ran to the right flag near the terraces were pelted with water bottles and beer cans.
