Harambee Stars top player arrested for clobbering wife

 

Caroline at Nyayo Stadium Police Station and Kago in cell after being arrested

PHOTO:ANGELA MAINA/ STANDARD.

Caroline reported the assault at Kasarani when Kago was in residential camp with Harambee Stars at Mvuli House, in Nairobi West, just a walking distance to Nyayo National Stadium.

The Deputy OCS at Kasarani Police Station, Munyoki Ngumbu wrote a letter to his counterpart in Nyayo PolicePolice Post asking them to ‘please assist to arrest and then inform this Station for collection.’

 Caroline and her friend Lillian contacted Oficer commanding Police Post (OCPP)Agnes Makau at Nyayo Police Post. And on receipt of the letter from Kasarani, cops proceeded to arrest Kago who was crossing the busy Lang’ata Road headed for the stadium.

Stars’ Team Manager Willis ‘Waliaula’ Wafula pleaded for Kago’s mercy as “The National team needs all the players to help Kenya go past Zambia and at this time, we cannot afford to take chances, my job is to ensure that all players are in camp in good shape, safe and sound,” Waliaula told the cops but his plea fell on deaf ears.

What followed were four hours of consultations and numerous phone calls between Football Kenya Federation officials, Waliaula, Caroline and Kago’s relatives. At 10pm officers from Kasarani Police Station arrived at Nyayo stadium ‘ready to collect their prisoner.’

As all the drama ensued at Nyayo, Kenya Footballers Welfare Association’s (KEFWA) chairman Innocent Mutiso too came to Nyayo to help solve the differences between two people he has known for quite some time.

“I have talked to both parties and we are working hard to find a solution to the problem so that the case does not interfere with the national team’s match against Zambia,” said Mutiso.

A desperate Kago on the other hand told the Police that he was just a victim of circumstances in a relationship gone bad.

“This was a family issue,” Kago told the cops. “It does not make sense at all because this process is costly and I would have used that money in taking care of Caroline. No man is perfect but at the same time, there is no sane man who can just come back home and beat up his wife for nothing. Anyway, this is not the time for blame games. We need to find a solution to this problem,” pleaded Kago, “I am ready to take her back but she needs to watch her friends because she has people close to her who are a bad influence,” he added.  

Contacted, Harambee Stars’ coach Bobby Williamson  brushed the issue aside as a mere sideshow.

“He is a young player who has been doing so well and we would like to keep him involved in the national team but it is unfortunate that he has to deal with other issues first,” said Williamson wishing Kago well in court as pleas to Kago’s 26-year-old wife to drop the charges bore no fruit. 

Kago appeared in court which heard that he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend after disagreeing over what television channels to watch on August 26 in Kasarani.

The court heard that he occasioned Caroline actual bodily harm after slappping her several times. The now expectant Mbithe told police that Kago took her to their bedroom where she was he reportedly head butted her several times and allegedly told her he would beat her until she aborted.

In her statement she stated: “I told him I was from hospital and he responded that he does not care and he will beat me until I die.” Kago denied the charge and was freed on Sh30,000 cash bail. The case will be heard on December 18.

—Additional reporting by Pkemoi Ng’enoh