The match pitting SS Assad and Migori Youth on Wednesday had to be delayed for more than an hour as the assigned match officials failed to turn up, allegedly for not having received their dues on time, with the home side eventually winning 3-2.There has been a push and pull between match officials drawn from different leagues and the FKF Caretaker Committee, with the officials claiming they have not been paid since December for some, while the Caretaker Committee maintains that they are up to date with the payment.In that specific match played at Shamu Grounds, Kwale on Wednesday, the referees initially appointed for the task failed to turn up, prompting a different set to be summoned from Mombasa.However, before the new set was summoned, there was confusion as the match commissioner seemed to pick local referees who did not even have official refereeing attire to take charge of the game according to reports from Migori Youth camp, but the visitors protested the decision which later saw the new set summoned.”Which league is this when you honour an away fixture only to find out there are no referees, and who gives the match comm the power to appoint unqualified and unregistered referees to officiate a super league match with unofficial referee attire,how can you officiate with a vest, VERY SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS,” a statement from one of Migori Youth’s officials as seen by Mozzart Sport read.The debacle unfolded at a time when referees and match commissioners from the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL), the Women Premier League (WPL), the National Super League (NSL), and the FKF Divison One have vowed not to take to the field the coming weekend if their dues are not settled.Woe unto Kenyan football as frustrated referees plan to boycott weekend matchesHowever, the head of the referees’ docket at the Caretaker Committee Titus Kasuve insists that payments have been made for referees in the FKFPL, NSL, and WPL”Money was released for all other leagues except Div 1 Zone A & B. I am also calling any match official who has not been paid to visit the Referees Committee on Wednesday, the 4th/05/2022. This will clear all issues. Most of the Referees gave us wrong Bank accts, wrong bank names, branches and even their own names. It has taken long to correct and today I have approved payments for 147 match coms, Referees, asst Referees Zone A and 157 for Zone B. The match officials are aware. We have been engaging them to make corrections. All payments for match officials in charge of FkF Premier league, Women Premier League, and National Super League already paid,” Kasuve told Mozzart Sport.
