Kenya Police FC coaches Salim Babu (left) and Anthony Kimani during a training session on August 17, 2024 Nyayo National Stadium.
Kenya Police are for the umpteenth time back in the market for a new coach.
The Football Kenya Federation Premier League outfit are currently being handled by coach Beldine Odemba on an interim basis. She is the seventh coach get the Police job since the law enforcers gained promotion to the Premier League in 2021.
In fact, at the turnover rate of seven coaches in three years, which translates to roughly two a season, Police surely hold the Kenyan Premier League record.
Police now want to get it right with their next appointment and have indicated they will be searching within and outside the Kenyan borders.
“We want to be careful this time around because we do not want that job to be one of musical chairs. The technical bench has not gone, we have mature players, some even have coaching experience so we are not in a hurry to appoint a coach,” said Fred Akama, the chairman of the Kenya Police FC Board of Trustees.
Veteran coach Robert Matano, Francis Kimanzi, and Belgian Patrick Aussems are some of the names, Akama said, they were considering for the job.
Matano is currently the Sofapaka coach while Kimanzi is unattached after parting ways with Tanzanian club Tabora United in October. Aussems, a former coach at AFC Leopards exited Tanzanian side Singida Black Stars this week.
Akama revealed that they are also exploring options beyond Kenya’s borders.
Salim Babu and Anthony “Modo” Kimani were the latest coaches to be shown the door by Police, sacked on November 20 because of poor results.
Interestingly, Babu was the head coach but Kimani was abruptly hired to head the Police technical bench in their brief Confederation Cup outing in August and September because he met CAF requirements on coaching qualifications.
Odemba, who coached Police’s women’s team Bullets and also the Kenyan national women’s side Harambee Starlets, was named to occupy the clearly hot seat on a temporary basis last week.
Yesterday, Odemba flew out to Morocco with Harambee Starlets for an eight-day tour in which they will play two friendly matches with Morocco “B” in Sale.
Under her brief guidance thus far Police have recorded two consecutive draws – 0-0 and 1-1 against Kariobangi Sharks and leaders KCB respectively.
Odemba’s engagement with Harambee Starlets means she will not be on the touchline when the law enforcers play AFC Leopards in a FKF Premier League match on Sunday.
When Police gained promotion in 2021 they were under coach John “Bobby” Ogolla who lasted eight months before he was sacked in March 2022 and replaced by former Kenya international Sammy “Pamzo” Omollo assisted be fellow international Musa Otieno.
The former Kenya captain resigned while Omollo was shown the door in November 22
John Baraza took over a month later, from December 2022 to September 2023 before he was replaced by Croat Zdravko Logarusic who lasted less than three months.
Babu came to the scene on January 6, and kept the job for 10 months.
Police are languishing 17th on the table with eight points from seven matches.
They have tasted just one victory – a 2-0 romp over 2008 champions Mathare United in October. In their other six matches, they have drawn five times and lost once.
