What's next for women football in Kenya?
What you need to know:
- FKF would retaliate viciously a day later, with Chief Executive Robert Muthomi drafting a letter to teams in which he demanded the officials make clear where their loyalties lie.
Consistent financial hiccups coupled with disagreements between Football Kenya Federation's (FKF) top hierarchy and club officials threaten to derail the Women's Premier League, Nation Sport has established.
On Tuesday, representatives from 11 of the 15 clubs participating in this competition met and accused FKF of among others, failing to disburse the annual Sh750,000 grants payable to each of the teams on time.
They also claim this league "has lost meaning" owing to several walkovers awarded and mulled over suspending the competition and forming a breakaway league, namely either Kenya Women Premier League clubs (KWPLC), Kenya Women Premier League teams (KWPLT) or Kenya Women Premier League Association (KWPLA).
FKF would retaliate viciously a day later, with Chief Executive Robert Muthomi drafting a letter to teams in which he demanded the officials make clear where their loyalties lie.
"Be guided that as per the FKF Rules Governing Kenyan Football, only the National Executive Committee has the powers to suspend/extend a season/league and as such we wish to confirm to your club that the Kenyan Women Premier League matches scheduled for this weekend and the subsequent matches shall proceed as scheduled," Muthomi wrote.
With corporates increasingly shying away from sponsoring football activities in Kenya, Nation Sport understands the women league's only source of funding is from football's world governing body Fifa's annual grants to FKF meant for the development of women football to an estimated tune of Sh30 million.
But then, consistent delays in remitting the funds has hampered the smooth running of the league with a broke FKF in turn unable to remit the grants, pay referees, ambulance, hire venues and provide security.
"We are struggling because there is no money and many of my players are torn in between commuting for daily training or looking elsewhere for other income generating opportunities," Kayole Starlet coach Joshua Sakwa, whose team is ranked last in the 15-team standings, explained.
FKF has also challenged the club officials to show accountability for the grants and the league, which provides a bulk of players to the national women football team, is now either in danger of folding up, or splitting into factions.
