Kenyan football has been rocked by allegations of match-fixing, with the latest revelation coming from the CEO of Nairobi City Stars, Patrick Korir.
Speaking on NTV’s SportOn! show, Korir revealed that his club had been approached to fix their FKF-Premier League match against Nzoia Sugar in 2021.
According to Korir, one of his players was offered a staggering Sh1,261,300 to help fix the match, with the condition that he would convince at least three teammates to be part of the deal.
Thankfully, the player reported the matter to Korir, who advised him to gather more evidence.
Through the Football Kenya Federation (FKF), FIFA advised City Stars to tell the player to stop engaging with the match-fixer, as there was a risk he might eventually be convinced to cooperate with him. City Stars went ahead to win the match against Nzoia Sugar, and Korir made it clear that his team would not engage in match-fixing under any circumstances.
Match-fixing has been a problem in Kenyan football for many years, but the situation has become worse lately.
The FKF has launched an investigation into 17 people, including players and coaches, on allegations of engaging in the vice. Several players and coaches, including defender Lennox Ogutu and midfielder Alphonce Ndonye of Mathare United, ex-Gor Mahia goalkeeper Willis Ochieng, and Zoo Kericho FC players Hamidu Kwizera Lucas and Vincent Misikhu, have been suspended from all football activities.
To combat match-fixing, the FKF has taken steps to ensure that all players sign integrity forms, and Fifpro has come up with a red button through which players can report match-fixing without revealing their details.
