NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 9 – Top Kenyan football side Mathare United has been suspended from all football activities in the country, Football Kenya Federation (FKF) announced on Wednesday.
Also suspended is Zoo FC with FKF saying it made the decision to kick out the two cubs after a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting reached to the decision following the failure of endorsing the Media and Commercial Rights Agreement entered into on the September 29, 2020 between FKF and StarTimes Media (Kenya) Limited.
However, the NEC has given the club until December 11, 2020, 17:00HRS to sign and submit to FKF the mandatory endorsement upon which the suspension shall be automatically lifted.
In the absence of an endorsement within that stipulated timeline, the suspension will be tabled at the next FKF General Assembly, where members of FKF shall either confirm or lift the suspension.
“We have been very patient with the two clubs and done our best to convince them
to meet their obligations in order to preserve the commercial rights of the league. While the other clubs have given us their endorsements, the two have declined to do so as the league enters match day three. The league cannot continue without the two clubs meeting their obligations,” FKF boss Nick Mwendwa said.
Another club Ulinzi Stars were given until Monday, 14 December, to also send their endorsement, failure to which they will be suspended from the top league.
“The NEC considered the case of Ulinzi and noted that being a military team, they require certain processes to be followed. In that regard, we have given them until Monday at 5p.m to sign the endorsement.
“Failure to do that will result in them being suspended from the top league,” added the FKF president.
He assured players from the three teams that they will be accorded a provisional window of 15 days to sign for other clubs, should their clubs fail to meet their respective deadlines.
At the same time, the FKF president said disciplinary proceedings will be opened against Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier for bringing the game into disrepute.
Rachier wrote a letter to StarTimes withdrawing a letter the club’s Secretary General had written to FKF endorsing the broadcast deal.
