School coaches put on notice over drunkenness

School coaches fond of drunkenness during Kenya secondary school activities have been warned of punishment, including immediate arrest and life ban.

At the same time, Coast Secondary School Sports Association chairman Juma Bora has asked principals handling all school teams to ensure they are registered with the Teachers Service Commission as is required by the Ministry of Education or risk being locked out of school games.

Bora’s warning comes in the wake of incidents of drunkenness by coaches during the just-concluded Coast Secondary Schools Term One games at Kenyatta High School in Mwatate in Taita Taveta County.

During the championship, some coaches showed up at the pitches drunk and, in the company of their students, hurled abuses at match officials.

“I received report that there were some rowdy students and coaches during hockey matches, especially the semi-finals and final matches and I had to call police officers to restore calm. Such incidents should not be happening in our school games, especially because guidelines by the Ministry of Education are clear on who should handle students,” Bora, who is also the principal of Msambweni Secondary School in Kwale County, said.

Bora was particularly angered that a school coach sneaked individuals, who are not students into the games village and fielded them in a rugby match without the knowledge of the principal of the school, prompting other teams to raise the alarm.

“In such a case, serious disciplinary action will be taken against the teachers in charge of the teams , which may include interdiction to bring sanity in our games,” he said.

According to Bora, school principals are required to always accompany their students during games. St George’s Secondary rugby 15s team was disqualified from the games after they were found guilty of fielding three strangers in their semi-final match against Galana Secondary, who eventually won the title after beating Taru Secondary 11-3.