Biased Kenyan referees and their cunning games

By Bethuel Oduo

Last season there were several complaints about incompetent referees, especially in the Division One league.

Most teams cried out loud and pointed out Mombasa as a Kichinjio (slaughterhouse) for visiting teams that faced obvious referee bias.

Biased refereeing is not new in Kenya. Historically, local referees tend to have a soft spot for the home team. Some call it ‘scorched earth’ refereeing.

Hints of such help are noticeable when most of the 50-50 fouls are ruled in favour of the home team and sometimes key opposing players are booked indiscriminately.

My first experience with scorched earth refereeing started in the 1970s when I was growing up in Kitale. The town had a team called Kitale FC playing in the Super League.

Those days, Kisii had Shabana; Kakamega had MoW; Bungoma had Nzoia FC; Kericho had Kericho All Stars; Nakuru had KFA, Abeingo, Nyanam and Scarlet.

In Eldoret there was Rivatex or Raymonds; Gilgil had Blue Rangers; Nairobi had Hakati, Imara, Black Mamba, and Kahawa Cannons; and Thika had Kenya Textile Mills. Kisumu had Kisumu Hotstars and later Kisumu Posta.

I also recall Bata Bullets of Limuru and Blue Triangle of Athi River. The Coast had Feisal, Mwenge, Kenatco, Ramogi and occasionally Black Panther.

Most of the teams listed died due to mismanagement, poor officiating or football politics.

 I have deliberately omitted big names like Gor Mahia, Ingwe, Kenya Breweries or even Reunion.

Kitale FC under Coach Stephen Nato scaled the lower ranks by grasping home ground advantage where the local referees literary joined the fans in humiliating visiting teams.

 When it came to refereeing the tormentor in chief was one Saleh Otieno (RIP).

He was the darling of Kitale FC fans. Well before a match he could swear loudly in drinking dens: “Hakuna pointi watachota hapa” (They won’t get any points here.)  He was openly and painfully biased as centre referee or linesman. I once witnessed a match between Gor Mahia and Kitale FC.

Saleh was one of the linesmen. The home team played well and actually contained K’Ogalo. Remember, that was the K’Ogalo of John Bobby Ogolla at Number 4. Kitale FC scored first and the stadium erupted in praise of AFC Leopards.

 Kitale is a predominantly Luhya town. Gor equalised at the stroke of half time.

In the second half, Saleh was in his true form, raising his flag at the slightest touch of the ball towards the home team’s goal. This infuriated the Gor players and fans (the ‘Green Army’ existed even then led by the remarkable Apingo Nyawawa).

The game was destined for a draw until the 85th minute when a Gor player was fouled near the 30-metre mark and a foul was awarded against the home team.

Bobby Ogolla stepped forward and blasted a thunderous shot directly towards keeper Barasa Ingwe, who found it too hot to handle. Gor were lucky to win 2-1.

Ironically, even without Saleh’s help Kitale FC produced good footballers, who graduated to bigger clubs.

 That is the team that gave Patrick Shim to AFC Leopards and Sam Sholei to Kenya Breweries.

In Kisumu, it was almost impossible to beat Kisumu Posta with Referee Ng’ong’a officiating. He was the darling of kids in Nubian and Makasembo estates near the stadium.

 The youngsters would wait outside his house as he took his lunch.

He never bothered to change his uniform at the stadium’s dressing room.

The children would wait for him to step out in full referee attire then break into occasional praise songs as they escorted him to the stadium.

Ng’ong’a loved that and he would ask those manning the gates to allow ‘his scouts’ to walk in free.