Shock as FKF ask Harambee Starlets to break camp

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has asked the national women football team to leave camp.

FKF president Nick Mwendwa explained on Tuesday that the Harambee Starlets have suffered owing to no funding from the government for the last year.

Starlets are supposed to play Zambia in a two-legged 2020 Olympics qualification match between November 8-14.

"If something does not change, we will not play Zambia. I do not know why the Principal Secretary Kirimi Kaberia does not fund us," said Mwendwa.

But on Tuesday, Mwendwa claimed Starlets had not received funding from the government for the past year.

"We may not play Zambia," said Mwendwa.

The football boss also blasted Sports Permanent Secretary Kirimi Kaberia, who he accused of "intentionally failing to fund football activities."

"I don't know why he has a problem funding football activities," charged Mwendwa.

"Our girls have not been given a penny for the last year. They have families to feed and bills to pay. The PS keeps promising but never honours his word."

Kaberia, Mwendwa went on, had also not released a penny to fund the men's national football team (Harambee Stars) since the team participated at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in July.

"The President (Uhuru Kenyatta) told me to my face that we now have a (Sports) Fund that will take care of all national teams. But the PS has refused to fund these teams. I don't know what his problem is with football," said Mwendwa.

"He (Kaberia) never attends Harambee Stars matches because he has always promised (to fund) these teams but never actualises this."

This development also implies that Harambee Stars may not be in a position to honour the 2021 Africa Nations Cup qualification matches against Togo and Egypt in Nairobi and Cairo respectively, next month.