Muyoti urges FKF to tackle match-fixing before Kenyan football collapses

Kenya Police FC head coach Nicholas Muyoti has raised the alarm on match-fixing, warning that the vice is steadily eroding the integrity of football in the country.

Muyoti joins a growing list of local coaches speaking out on the controversy.

“I’ve been talking about match fixing for a long time, three or five years now. Match fixing is there, it’s real. There are people who are using officials, coaches, players to fix matches,” Muyoti told the press.

“I’ve experienced it. We are even receiving calls from everywhere about fixing matches. If we weren’t strong we could have gone that direction. We have our conscience and integrity which are very clear,” he added.

The former Nairobi United head coach warned that unless urgent measures are implemented, the situation could drag Kenyan football into serious decline.

“If the federation and the government fail to do something then we are in trouble, football will go down the drain. It is about time they do investigations and find out what is happening.”

Muyoti also called on clubs to pay players on time to reduce their vulnerability to manipulation.

“Clubs should also try and make sure they are paying players in good time. If they don’t, it will continue and it’s going to kill the game. Most young players will sink into match-fixing and we will have no teams,” Muyoti warned.

He joins coaches like Patrick Odhiambo (Kakamega Homeboyz), Abdallah Juma (Sofapaka FC), and former Tusker FC coach Charles Okere in calling for urgent reforms.

The debate resurfaces nearly a year after former Harambee Stars goalkeeper Patrick Matasi faced suspension over match-fixing allegations.

Despite investigations, and his suspension having lapsed, the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has yet to clear him for action The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is also yet to propose charges, highlighting gaps in Kenya’s Sports Act, 2013 regarding criminalizing match-fixing.