This archive report was first published on 5 January 2022.
2021 Sporting Controversies in Kenya ¶
Kenya witnessed a plethora of sporting controversies in 2021, ranging from match manipulation to doping scandals.
One of the most significant controversies involved Kenyan football club Zoo FC, which was expelled from the 2020/21 Kenya Premier League season after FIFA found them responsible for match manipulation in May 2021.
According to FIFA, the club was also relegated to the FKF Division One league for the next season and was required to implement a 'prevention plan' to combat match manipulation.
Another controversy surrounded Fatuma Zarika, a former World Boxing Council super-bantamweight champion, who was denied a chance to rematch against Yamileth Mercado of Mexico due to a dispute with the World Boxing Council.
Kenyan sprinter Mark Otieno was also embroiled in a doping scandal after allegedly breaching anti-doping rules following testing by the International Testing Agency (ITA) in August 2021.
Former Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario and former senior sports official Stephen Soi were handed a combined fine of Sh119 million (or a combined jail sentence of 18 years) after involvement in the 2016 Rio Olympics Scandal in September 2021.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) banned Nyayo and Kasarani stadiums from hosting international competitions in October 2021 due to poor conditions.
FKF President Nick Mwendwa's suspension and eventual resignation in November 2021 marked the end of a tumultuous year for Kenyan football, which was marred by a media blackout, a congested fixture schedule, and a government suspension order to contain the spread of Covid-19.
