The Football Kenya Federation Caretaker Committee has embarked on the process of hiring a new head coach for the Kenya Women National Team Harambee Starlets barely a month to the second qualification round of the 2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations.The committee’s head of secretariat Lindah Oguttu, through a social media post, confirmed that interviews for the said position were underway, accompanying it with a photo that had the technical subcommittee head Bobby Ogolla and former Harambee Stars coach Rishadi Shedu.In full knowledge of such an important upcoming game, and the fact that coach Charles Okere’s future at the helm was bleak, many will feel that the Committee should have prioritized the appointment of the Harambee Stars earlier enough to allow the picked tactician enough time to constitute his or her squad.Reports have it that among those being interviewed are Charles Okere, Florence Duah, Tusker’s George Maina, Thika Starlet’s coach Benta Achieng, and former Vihiga Queens tactician Alex Alumirah.Interview for Head Coach National team (Harambee Starlets) underway…may we get the best coach for our team. @FKFcaretaker@fkfcc_women pic.twitter.com/6VqnFRHR2Q— Lindah Oguttu (@lindahoguttu) January 18, 2022 However, questions will be asked on where and where the committee advertised for the vacancy at the side, something that had been much highlighted in the FKF inspection report that saw the formation of the committee.”There was no indication of FKF being an equal opportunity employer for all as positions filled by the employees were not advertised thus not competitively filled as required under Section 5 of the Employment Act No.11 of 2007 and International Labour Organization Convention No. 111 on equal pay for work of equal value and Convention 100 on discrimination. It was also revealed that FKF incurred expenditures for breach of contracts resulting from unprocedural hiring and firing of employees/ coaches,” part of the inspection report on employees contracts section read.The successful coach will have less than a month to constitute and assemble a team for the international assignment set for mid-next month.Harambee Starlets are set to play neighbors Uganda on February 13, 2022 away before staging the return leg a week later in Nairobi for a ticket to this year’s AWCON set for July this year.A lot is at stake in this game, including a chance for the big Kenyan girls to avenge the deeds on their younger siblings, Rising Starlets, in the hands of Uganda’s U20 side that hammered them 10-3 on aggregate in the 2022 FIFA U20 Women World Cup Qualifiers, apart from clinching a ticket to the continental showpiece that will also serve as part of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification.Kenya advanced to the second round after seeing hammering South Sudan in a two-legged clash staged at Nairobi for both legs, winning 8-0 in the first leg as hosts and 7-1 as the visiting team to complete a 15-goal haul on aggregate.Earlier in the year, the head of competitions Ali Amour had made it clear that the committee was focused on hiring a coach for the national women’s side, adding that they would be holding interviews as opposed to handpicking.”Our focus at the moment is on Harambee Starlets. We are planning on how to settle on the Starlets coach. We will not handpick but will instead hold an interview and the one who will be meet the requirements and emerge successful will get the job,” Amour said
