Centre Referee Zacharia Ashira penalise Sony Sugar FC's Charles Bruno during KPL Match between Mathare United FC and Sony Sugar at Nyayo National Stadium on saturday 9, 2016. [PHOTO: JONAH ONYANGO/STANDARD]

Five match officials have been suspended over what Football Kenya Federation called “blatant errors”.

The federation said they reached the decision after investigating 12 and have now handed the officials a three-month suspension.

Among those suspended is Fifa referee Israel Mpaima. He has been suspended alongside Zachariah Ashira another centre referee. The others are assistant referees Oliver Ouma and Godfrey Ndeva as well as match commissioner Dominic Weda.

FKF President Nick Mwendwa announced the decision yesterday following complaints by teams over poor officiating.

“We have taken this decision after carrying out investigations on 12 matches where teams made complains about officiating. In our investigations, we discovered blatant errors in five matches and from this we have asked those who were in charge to step aside,” he said.

Mwendwa further said changes will be made on the composition of the referee’s committee and the referees’ appointments committee.

“We are going to form two referees appointment committees — one specifically for the KPL and the other one for the lower leagues. It means that some people are going to be changed.”

The developments come as the battle for top spot in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) continues this weekend with a number of mouthwatering fixtures.

Leaders Tusker will be hoping to bounce back to winning ways when they play Mathare United today at Kasarani.

Champions Gor Mahia have a date with Bandari tomorrow at Moi Stadium and will be watching keenly the action at Kasarani hoping Tusker falters so they can go to top of the log.

With second-placed Gor Mahia just two points away from catching up with Tusker, the brewers cannot afford to drop any more points against Mathare United.

Tusker go into today’s fixture having failed to win a match in their last three outings.

The brewers were stunned 2-0 by Thika United on Wednesday.

Mathare United provides an exciting opposition to the brewers. Mathare coach Francis Kimanzi is a familiar man to the brewers having handled them for two seasons.

Tusker coach Paul Nkata will be hoping that his top strikers Allan Wanga and Michael Khamati raise their game to give him all three points.

Gor Mahia have won most of their matches played at Moi Stadium this season and they go into tomorrow’s fixture against Bandari inspired by this record.

The KPL champions have not been in their stride as was in the first leg and anxiety is beginning to grip fans.

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