NAIROBI, Kenya, May 13 – A section of referees, mostly drawn from the second tier National Super League are up in arms over unpaid dues by the FKF Caretaker Committee.
A number of match officials who spoke to Capital Sports on condition of anonymity said that most are owed their match officiating fees from as late as December last year and efforts to get their dues have been futile.
“For most of us, refereeing is our daily job and this is our career. We have no other means of livelihood. As for me, I used most of my savings to honor matches knowing that I will be refunded. I used my own money for transport, food and accommodation, but all we are getting from the Committee are lies,” one of the officials told Capital Sport.
During Tuesday’s final press briefing by the Committee, Titus Kasuve, who was in charge of referees in the Committee said that they had cleared most of the outstanding dues owed to referees, but some say they have not been paid.
“We had a problem in terms of disbursing the money because some had given wrong accounts but we have since sorted and no one is owed now,” Kasuve said.
But, the referees say the former FKF vice president is not letting out the truth.
“It is very shameful for Mr Kasuve to go to the media and say he has paid us while he knows too well some of us have not been paid from January. He has been very rude to us especially when we ask him about money owed to us and now we want a sitting with the CS Amina to have our grievances heard,” said another referee.
A number of NSL matches have been abandoned this season due to referees boycotting games over unpaid dues.
Meanwhile in the Premier League, a big section of match officials have been paid up until end of March.
“They have reduced the balance by a good amount last week and now we are only owed matches that we officiated in April and the first week of May,” an FKF Premier League referee said.
