Involve FKF in schools games to curb cheating

By   Ernest Ndunda 

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) want to be fully involved in the running of primary and secondary schools football to curb cheating during the games.

Federation’s South Coast branch Secretary Evans Mwachia and his Mombasa sub-branch chairman Hassan Tito said cases of cheating were rising at an alarming rate, especially during the national secondary schools championships.

Mwachia said some teachers resorted to cheating to enable their teams win trophies.

“Since the introduction of the East and Central Africa Secondary School Games, teachers have gone all their way to cheat to enable them travel outside the country for the games and benefit from the huge allowances given by the Ministry of Education,” said Tito.

Eradicate the vice

Tito said teachers should think about the future of the students they engage in cheating and urged the Ministry of Education and that of Sports to work closely with FKF to eradicate the vice.

He said most of the students are well known at the grassroots by FKF officials who can provide crucial information about the students should they be involved in the running of schools games.

Kakamega High School were among the complainants in the 2012 Airtel Rising Stars National Secondary Schools Ball Games, which concluded in Mombasa.

Minishi complained

Kakamega principal Oliver Minishi alleged that Denis Nandwa, who played for the eventual winners St Anthony, sat for his KCSE examinations last year at Faithville Christian High School.

“We raised our concern but no one seemed to listen to us. We lost to St Anthony 1-0 in the semi-finals but we have filed an appeal since St Anthony fielded an ineligible player,” Minishi told FeverPitch, on Monday.

Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association Chairman Barnabas Kitilit said that the association was investigating allegations of cheating and warned that severe action would be taken against schools involved in the vice.

Mwachia said schools should be honest as they were out to mould talent and should not be involved in cheating for the sake of winning trophies.

“Cheating of age or any other kind at the Secondary School level would also affect our federation when it comes to the selection of junior players,” said Mwachia.