NAIROBI, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan football authorities have suspended three match officials, a player and a team manager for alleged involvement in match-fixing.
The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) in a statement issued on Friday said that investigations into the charges against the five accused have been opened by its Integrity Department.
Kevin Olango, a goalkeeper for Nairobi-based FKF Premier League club Talanta FC, and Abdulkarim Amele, Kibra United's third-tier FKF Division One team manager, have been barred from participating in any football activities until the investigation is completed.
Jacqueline Barongo, Meshack Omondi and Stephen Adeya were named as the three referees who have also been suspended on match-fixing charges.
FKF has thus directed all its members and the general public not to have any form of sporting contact with the suspended individuals.
"No further details will be provided at this stage as the matter is pending hearing and determination by the FKF Disciplinary Committee," FKF CEO Barry Otieno said.
The five were charged following the FKF Premier League match played on April 20 between Talanta and Nairobi City Stars, in which the former won 3-0.
The result sparked conversations on social media due to how Talanta conceded the goals, with Mohammed Bajaber, Robinson Asenwa and Samuel Kapen scoring in the rout.
It was the ninth win of the season for the City Stars at the time, as they recorded their sixth win on the bounce at the time.
The match was officiated by the three suspended referees, and it is unclear what role the accused team manager played.
Match-fixing in Kenyan football has come under the spotlight in recent times, with stakeholders alarmed by the increasing cases of alleged manipulation of results in the country's Premier League and lower tiers.
FKF integrity officer Mike Kamure said in December 2023 that unscrupulous syndicates are consistently seeking ways to infiltrate the game and coerce players or officials into manipulating matches.
"We must remain vigilant against the dangers of match-fixing," Kamure said at a workshop ironically organized by Talanta FC. ■
