Football Kenya Federation is putting up measures to tame match-fixing in the country with legislative action, through parliament.
Chief Executive Officer Barry Otieno said the legislation would ensure culprits face jail terms and or hefty fines, a welcome deterrent.
This comes four days after FKF suspended five individuals accused of influencing match results within the Kenyan football ecosystem.
Otieno, who signed the quintet’s suspension letter on May 3, said the vice is hurting the integrity of the game, especially the Kenyan Premier League, watering down efforts the federations and other stakeholders have made.
Former Fifa referee Meshack Kobilo, FC Talanta goalkeeper Kevin Olang’o, referees Jacqueline Barongo and Stephen Adeya and Kibra United team manager Abdulkarim Amele are under investigation.
Otieno, who spoke exclusively to the Star, revealed the five have already recorded statements and will face the FKF Disciplinary Committee in due course.
“We are happy that Fifa is helping us monitor matches. I applaud fans of goodwill, officials and players who blow the whistle,” added Otieno.
The racket is so deep-rooted that even individuals previously suspended on similar allegations are still recruiting perpetrators. Otieno said they are in talks with Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba and other government officials to have match-fixing criminalised through legislation.
However, he observed the vice seems to cut across the sports spectrum and is worried about the task.
“Chinese athlete He Jie’s victory at the Beijing Half Marathon is facing a probe after opponents appeared to deliberately let him win, while Nottingham Forest management suspect their striker intentionally failed to score against Manchester City to ensure his side lost. This shows how bad the vice is,” said Otieno.
Meanwhile, retired Fifa referee David Gikonyo believes delayed payment of referees’ dues could be the motivation.
“The league is almost winding up but referees’ payments are not up-to-date. Yet, they have families to feed... what are the chances of an official taking a bribe to fix a game? posed Gikonyo.
Kiarie Mbugua, a police officer and a football enthusiast from Kisumu and who has been fighting match-fixing, says referees should emulate the likes of professor Peter Waweru, Gilbert Cheruiyot and Stephen Yiembe — who have performed their duties up to the highest level without disgracing the game.
