CAPTION: Kenyan referees during a past training session at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru Kenyan football match officials have confirmed that the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Caretaker Committee is yet to clear their dues since last year.
The FKF Division 1 referees as well as their counterparts in the FKF-PL Division have decried painful hardships with most at the risk of failing to make ends meet. Responding to their grievances, FKF Committee member Ali Amur had on April 13 claimed that the funds are yet to be wired to their accounts and would be disbursed to officials as soon as they are received.
But more than 2 weeks later, nothing much has changed. "Good morning, hope this will find you well. I am an FKF referee by profession in Division 1. I need a favour from you, Sir. It's about our refereeing sector. FKF and the caretaker committee have not cleared our dues since last year. Football referees are going through a lot. No payments made and up to now the pain and hardships we are enduring are unbearable. Please amplify this information to the public. And please sir hide my identity. Thank you in advance," the source writes.
This comes amidst the fallout from some sections of the footballing community over poor officiating standards.
There have been complaints that Kenya should only hire officials from foreign neighboring countries as he sowed more doubt on the professionalism of locally trained referees.
Kenya is currently under a FIFA ban, meaning no referee from the country can officiate in international matches.