Kenyan whistlers Lucy Awino, Dickens Mimisa, and Meshack Omondi will now be available for selection to referee international matches after acquiring their FIFA Badges as international match officials.The three center referees were named in the 2023 FIFA Refereeing International List released by the global body earlier this week, getting the green light to be selected to handle international matches going forward as guided by FIFA.Happy for Meshack Omondi and Lucy Juma who have earned the FIFA badge after whistling in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League for three and two seasons respectively. https://t.co/FYZXm7EALC— Meshack Kisenge (@kisengemeshack1) January 4, 2023 The three join the quartet of Peter Waweru, Josephine Wanjiku, Brooke Phillip, and Israel Mpaima as the other center referees in the country who hold FIFA Badges and are cleared to take charge of international matches.Apart from being the only referee in the country accredited to handle VAR duties at the international level, Peter Waweru is also the most experienced referee in the Kenyan team having earned his badge in 2017.##NAJAVA_MECA_6922926##Carolyne Wanjala, who came under fire earlier in 2022 for alleged suspect officiating is among the two Kenyan center referees who have been dropped from last year’s list, the other one being Anthony Ogwayo.Beleaguered FIFA referee pleads innocent amid suspect officiating claims leveled against herThere was no new inclusion or exclusions in the assistant referees list from the one given last year by FIFA, with the experienced Mary Njoroge and the duo of Jane Cherono and Carolyne Kiles leading the line. While Njoroge was cleared in 2008, the two have had the greenlight since 2012.They are joined by Joshua Achila, Gilbert Cheruiyot, Samuel Mwangi, Tony Kidiya, Oliver Omondi, and Stephen Yiembe.Kenya and South Sudan had the most number of inclusions in Africa with three, with only two other countries globally, Chile and USA, having more with five each.
