Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has responded to the undertone complaints and discussions surrounding the welfare and particularly payment arrears owed to match officials.Football stakeholders have taken to various media platforms especially social media to discuss the plight of match officials who due to the nature of their jobs shy away from publicly speaking about the matter.##NAJAVA_MECA_8380380##Referees’ payments for matches officiated and facilitation to match venues have had delays in the recent past with stakeholders fearing that it may affect the quality of officiating in the country.FKF through referee manager Sylvester Kirwa have now responded to the matter, acknowledging the delays and promising to solve it as soon as possible.Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee predicts Harambee Stars back to back Cameroon AFCON qualifiers“We continue to improve on the welfare of the referees which includes payments and their facilitation to matches. That is something that is being worked on by the federation and year after year, you realize that we are doing our best to improve their welfare,” said Kirwa.The former FIFA referee’s sentiments were echoed by Ongaka Semion, a centre referee in the FKF Premier League who said that the delays are always paid in lump sums.##NAJAVA_MECA_8387091##“Last season, there was a little delay in our payments but it was sorted in a lump sum in January. There is no reason for me to worry as the money comes in a lump sum and enables me to solve my issues.”This is not the only matter that has surrounded match officials in the recent past, there is also the unfortunate event of last weekend where referees opted not to officiate the match between Shabana FC and Posta Rangers despite attending the pre-match and both teams taking to the field only for the match to be abandoned. 5 FKF presidential aspirants raise 7 concerns ahead of electionsKirwa and Ongaka were speaking on the sidelines of the three-day National Super League (NSL) referees Physical Endurance Test (PET) that is taking place at the Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret.The PET involves the physical aspect to ensure that only those who are physically fit get a chance to oversee the league as well as update the match officials on the regulations of the game. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8387074##At PET, they will also be reviewing last season’s performance while also providing a platform for referees to raise their concerns with the aim of improving the game.
