KPL launch investigations on Kericho gun incident
Bandari FC defender Fred Nkata (right) challenges Zoo midfielder Danson Chetambe during their Kenya Premier League match played at the KPA Mbaraki Grounds in Mombasa on April 25, 2018. KPL has launched investigations into a gun incident that occured during the second leg match between these two teams at the Kericho Green Stadium on September 16, 2018. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT |
What you need to know:
The incident occured at the end of a league match between Zoo and Bandari at the Kericho Green Stadium on Sunday
The man has since been identified only as “Wycliffe”, an administration police officer attached to Ainamoi MP Sylvanus Maritim
Zoo officials have however come out to defend their club’s image, saying that the story has been laced with malice
“That armed man had been insulting the lines woman throughout the match and it is during that small melee that he entered the pitch."
Construction works on the three stadiums that had been earmarked for completion by now have stalled and the few match venues that remain are becoming more and more unsafe for spectators.
Local football enthusiasts are calling on the Director of Criminal Investigations to investigate an incident where a gun-toting man ventured onto the pitch in a fit of rage, thereby endangering the lives of fans, match officials, players and journalists.
This was at the end of a SportPesa Premier League match between Zoo and Bandari at the Kericho Green Stadium on Sunday which ended in a one-all stalemate.
The man has since been identified only as “Wycliffe”, an administration police officer attached to Ainamoi Member of Parliament Sylvanus Maritim and a former Chemelil and Zoo Kericho goalkeeper.
“We will write to the IG to look into the matter further with the aim of ensuring that this does not happen again as all licensed gun-holders are under his jurisdiction,” a statement from KPL read in part.
Zoo officials have however come out to defend their club’s image, saying that the story has been laced with malice.
“Those photos you are seeing online were posted with malicious intentions. We are waiting for the match officials’ report which will reveal the truth. Bandari players and technical bench were unhappy because we equalized late into the match and also because the referee added five minutes after regulation time so when that person went into the pitch to greet the players he was wrestled to the ground by Bandari players.
“As a police officer the first thing you do in such an incident is to secure your gun, and that is what he did. He never brandished it and he never threatened to shoot. Let the management investigate,” said Zoo communications officer Peter Kiptoo.
Bandari officials were unavailable for comment by press time but a player who sought anonymity because he is not authorized to speak on behalf of the club said:
“It all started after Zoo equalised and their goalkeeper trainer ran towards our bench hurling insults.
“At the end of the game the entire bench members ran towards us and started insulting us, and that’s when the players now got angry and a small confrontation began between our players and those from Zoo.
“That armed man had been insulting the lines woman throughout the match and it is during that small melee that he entered the pitch. He had to be restrained by our kit man”.
Many are however questioning the capability of our local football administrators to investigate this matter, as such incidents have in the past gone unpunished.
In 2016 during a match involving Ulinzi Stars and AFC Leopards in Nakuru, an army officer attached to Ulinzi brandished a gun and threatened to shoot at Ingwe fans but no action has been taken to date.
