Nick Mwendwa Claims Match Fixing Thrived In Kenya During His Absence
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has disclosed that the federation utilized the one year suspension by FIFA in match fixing through reaching out to more players, clubs and match officials.
A report presented to the National Assembly on April 18, 2023, indicate that lack of regulation made it possible.
“The period between December 2021 and October 2022 in which the federation was suspended and the football management was undertaken by the Caretaker Committee saw the rise in match fixing cases in our leagues as there was no regulator with the expertise to address the issues that arose. The match fixers took advantage of this gap to reach out to more players, clubs and match officials,” read the report, signed by CEO Barry Otieno.
The report also adds that; “In 2021, before the Fifa ban, the federation had suspended four match officials and one player implicated in match fixing. The federation has so far, since November 2022, suspended 17 players and three match officials as investigations continue on these and other cases.”
During presentation of the report before the Committee of Sports and Cultural Affairs, FKF President Nick Mwendwa pleaded with the legislators to implement laws that would regulate match fixing.
“We have had cases where individuals suspected of match fixing and who are not members of FKF have been arrested and presented in a court of law only for the cases to be dismissed for lack of legislation,” Mwendwa said.
Mwendwa also revealed that having regulations on match fixing would make those responsible accountable.
“We can only act against members but not against those who are not members of FKF. So, what we need chair, is a law that allows law enforcers to take action against someone who has been found to fix a match. This is what we are lacking here in Kenya,” Mwendwa added.
Webuye West Member of Parliament Dan Wanyama, who is also the Chair of Committee of Sports and Cultural Affair, also said that laws will be implemented to criminalize match fixing.
“We have heard of you and will put in place legislation to criminalize match fixing so that the culprits can be arrested and charged in a court of law,” Wanyama revealed.
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