After going for three months without salaries, referees across the country have threatened to down their tools citing frustrations from the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Caretaker Committee.All referees from the top three tiers of Kenya football, the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL), the National Super League (NSL) and Divison One have vowed not to take to the field after the international break if their dues are not settled.Football stakeholders cry foul on officiating in Kenyan leagues amid claims of match fixingOne of the referees who spoke to Mozzart Sport in confidentiality revealed that their arrears date back to January 15 and hinted that the situation could be behind the rampant reports of match-fixing.“We have not been paid since January 15 and we know that funds were set aside by the government to run football in the country. We have depleted our savings and will not be able to honour matches after the international break.As referees, we are forced to travel across the country, in Kakamega and Mombasa and that is why you find that some games are sold to the highest bidders,” said one of the referees who sought anonymity.In recent weeks, questionable calls have been witnessed in Kenyan football most notably the Nairobi City Stars versus Posta Rangers clash where the centre referee dished out two non-existent penalties.The referee also opened up on the Caretaker’s reasons for not paying their salaries for close to three months highlighting the high cost of living in the country that has augmented their plight.Muyoti calls for probe into referees after Saturday’s bewildering officiating“We have been given a number of reasons for the delay with the committee saying that there has been a banking error and problems with the match sheet submitted.How do they expect us to live with the high costs of living, they promised to clean football but to date we are referees have seen little in a bid to take the game forward,” added the match official.
