AFC Leopards fans celebrate victory over Sofapaka FC. PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya
NAIROBI, September 29 – After playing a strong hand in protracted wrangles over the club’s leadership, AFC Leopards interim Secretary General, Professor Asava Kadima, finally threw in the towel citing personal reasons.
Kadima, who was elected as assistant Secretary General in 2011 before replacing George Aladwa during June’s Special General Meeting, has been at loggerheads with the Mathew Opwora-led faction to control the cash-strapped domestic giants.
The Don called it quits and immediately replaced by Buru Buru Branch chairman, Douglas Simiyu who was serving as one of the co-opted Committee Members in a move that will give the Opwora group a firmer grip in the control stakes since Kadima was one of the most vocal opponents against their takeover.
“Yes, I have resigned because the club is degrading to a bad level and for the sake of sanity, I have decided to step down and see if I was the problem. It saddens me that people don’t want to be told the truth.
“We are facing financial crisis but instead of people concentrating on helping the club find its feet, they have diverted their attention to politics. There is so much confusion and too much lies. We have called for AGM on several occasions but no one attends,” Kadima told Capital Sport.
Kadima is the latest interim official to resign after his boss; Dr. Walter Onyino stepped down at the beginning of the month when the Ministry of Sports recognised the Opwora faction as legal office bearers.
Leopards have been facing a biting financial crisis that has seen players and technical bench go months without pay affecting their performance on the pitch with Sunday’s 4-2 dispiriting loss to archrivals to Tusker FC in the KPL Top 8 quarter-finals the latest setback.
“The club owes old players and head coach up to four month salaries but new ones have been paid up to July. People should stop propaganda and concentrate on raising money for the team because we postponed the fundraiser for the second time,” Kadima underscored.
The financial woes that worsened after shirt sponsor, Mumias Sugar terminated their contract, led to a mass exodus of players in the June transfer window, to leave one of the oldest clubs in the country almost down to its knees.
Vice chairman, Dan Mule, treasurer, Pamela Lutta, assistant Secretary General, George Aladwa, Organising Secretary, Felix Shitsama, Committee Members, Robin Toskin, former player Peter Lichungu and Stephen Mungo remain in the office.
