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In a shocking development, National Super League (NSL) clubs will have to pay referees officiating their matches beginning this season.
Acting Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Secretary General Barry Otieno has confirmed the development saying it has been occasioned by financial challenges.
“We are facing financial challenges and we owe referees arrears from last season. We had a meeting with all the NSL teams last season and again at the beginning of this season and mutually agreed that the clubs will start paying the referees,” Otieno told Nation Sport.
Otieno further revealed that the clubs would, from this season, get 85 per cent of the broadcast sponsorship money for the league while FKF would keep 15 per cent for administration. Bamba Sports gives the federation Sh10 million annually for the TV rights and it is this money that the clubs are hoping to tap into while the federation hopes to avoid more debts.
However, several club officials say the arrangement could cause further problems.
“Most clubs are already struggling to honour matches and adding further financial burden to us will be overstretching teams that are barely surviving. We are not even sure when Bamba Sports will release the monies and I am afraid walkovers could become the order of the day," a club official who sought anonymity told Nation Sport.
"This also raises an integrity question as teams with financial might could easily bribe referees to influence the outcome of games.”
“Four referees are usually in charge of a match and each takes home Sh5000. Each team is now expected to fork out Sh10,000 per game and this is going to be a tall order for most teams,” added the official.
While top-tier referees are paid by the Kenyan Premier League, lower-tier clubs in the Division One, Division Two, Regional, County and Sub County Leagues are forced to carry the burden of paying match officials.
