Tackle match fixing in football decisively

Match fixing is becoming a threat to integrity and credibility of Kenyan football. And as the Football Kenya Federation meets with chairmen of all the 18 Premier League clubs today in Nairobi, to combat the vice, the government should also join in.

From the suspension of former Kenyan international George ‘Wise’ Owino from all football related activities for ten years by the world governing body, Fifa, in 2019, to the banning of Kakamega Homeboyz’s quartet of George Mandela, Festo Omukoto, Festus Okiring and Moses Chikati for allegedly influencing the outcome of results last year and further match fixing allegations at Sofapaka, Wazito and Western Stima, it shows the vice is becoming rampant.

The situation seems dire in the lower tier leagues which don’t get much media attention.  Last month’s turn of events at Western Stima left a lot to be desired when their chairman Laban Jobita confirmed that a suspect had been arrested in Kisumu while trying to fix their league match against KCB, only for him to withdraw the case.

The latest damning allegations at Gor Mahia have raised questions as the club management gets to the root cause of the current downward slope. While footballers and all stakeholders need to be empowered through education and motivated to prevent and fight match manipulation, betting firms should exclude local league matches from their platforms.

Though match fixing is a complex matter, Sofapaka chairman Elly Kalekwa says the vice not only leaves one miserable, but also kills the beautiful game.

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