FKF cancels matches in Covid-19 hotspot zone
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has moved with speed to cancel all football activities in Nyanza, Western, and part of lower Rift Valley following the surge of the Covid-19 situation in the region.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Health declared Busia, Vihiga, Kisii, Nyamira, Kakamega, Kericho, Bomet, Bungoma, Trans-Nzoia, Kisumu, Siaya, Homa-Bay, and Migori counties as individually and collectively Covid-19 hotspot zone.
The ministry further went ahead to discourage movement between the hotspot zones as well as public gatherings.
Following this directive, FKF has written to all affected FKF County Offices and all Clubs Chairmen in the affected area, to stop any football activities in the area for the next 30 days.
"For planning purposes, all matches scheduled to be played in the "hotspot" regions of Kisumu, Kakamega, Bomet, Migori, etc stand cancelled. Other matches to proceed as scheduled," a statement from FKF Competitions Department sent to affected clubs read in part.
Later, FKF CEO Bary Otieno sent an official communication to all affected branch officials saying that, "in light of the foregoing, and the urgent need to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the aforementioned 13 counties, the federation has with immediate effect, suspended all FKF Women Division 1, FKF Division 1 & 2, Regional, County and Sub County leagues, as well as all grassroots football programs in the said counties for a period of thirty (30) days,"
"For avoidance of doubt, leagues in counties not affected by the government directive will go on as scheduled, in line with existing FKF/CAF and government Covid 19 protocols," he added.
In order to ensure that clubs that are playing in the Betking Premier League and Betika National Super League but who comes from the affected 13 counties continue to honour their fixtures, Bary said that the federation will continue to engage the government with a view of having all these affected clubs shift their home matches to the unaffected neighbouring counties.
