Kakamega Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula is now blaming Football Kenya Federation (FKF) chairman Nick Mwendwa after four of his former players were handed long-term bans by the world football governing body FIFA on Tuesday.
Moses Chikati, Festo Omukoto, Festus Okiring and Moses Mandela were found guilty by FIFA of abetting match fixing during the 2019 season that saw the team soak in goals and register poor results.
Consequently, the trio were handed a four-year ban from footballing activities both at club and country level while Mandela was banished for life.
However, a concerned Shimanyula on Wednesday lay the blame squarely at the doorstep of Mwendwa, accusing him of dropping the ball when he was supposed to swing into action.
He averred that when he made claims about teams conspiring to predetermine the outcome of matches he was dismissed as crazy by the chairman.
“I blame FKF President Nick Mwendwa who openly said that possibly I’m insane insisting that there is no match fixing in Kenyan league. The Kenyan federation has failed and there is too much corruption in our football,” he said.
He averred that the move by the international body had vindicated his sentiments but warned that the country’s football league was still marred by graft and underhand dealings on and off the pitch.
“Kenya has a lot of problems and I can assure you that many clubs about six to seven which are in this game (Match fixing) and I don’t want to name any club because they will sue me,” Shimanyula added.
At the height of the claims, the prominent businessman sacked part of his team’s technical bench led by head coach Paul Nkatah, his assistant Hamza Kalanzi as well as Mandela (all Ugndandans) whom he adversely linked to the vice. Nkatah would later flee to Uganda while Kalanzi went underground.
He however expressed optimism that their day of reckoning is nigh.
“They have not banned coach (Paul Nkata) and those who worked under him. They (FIFA) have said that the probe is still going own and I want to assure you that we are going to see more,” he stated.
