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Court orders Shabana to pay coach Sammy Omollo Sh2.2m for unfair dismissal
Then Shabana FC coach Sammy Omollo reacts on the touchline during an FKF Premier League match against Ulinzi Stars at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi on September 22, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Shabana parted ways with Omollo in October 2024, despite him having overseen one of the club’s most successful periods in recent years.
- Sammy Omollo took the club to court, accusing them of unfairly dismissing him and breaching the terms of his employment contract.
The Employment and Labour Relations Court in Kisii has ordered Shabana Football Club to pay its former coach, Sammy ‘Pamzo’ Omollo, Sh2.2 million in compensation for wrongful dismissal.
In a ruling delivered on Monday, Justice Nzioki wa Makau found Shabana culpable of the “constructive, unfair and unlawful termination of the former Kenya international’s employment”.
The court awarded Omollo Sh1.6 million, equivalent to 10 months’ salary. Omollo was also awarded Sh160,000 in lieu of one month’s notice, Sh318,000 in unpaid housing allowance, Sh75,000 in salary arrears for June 2023, and Sh85,000 in salary arrears for September 2024.
In his ruling, Justice Nzioki wa Makau stated that “the claimant (Omollo) was successful in showing he was dismissed without cause, and that the constructive dismissal was a result of the respondent’s (Shabana) refusal to assign him coaching duties after claiming there would be tension or a fracas if he were to accompany Shabana FC in their match against Kariobangi Sharks.”
Shabana parted ways with Omollo in October 2024, despite him having overseen one of the club’s most successful periods in recent years.
Omollo took the club to court, accusing them of unfairly dismissing him and breaching the terms of his employment contract after he was stripped of his coaching duties, before eventually resigning.
However, the club denied the claim and filed a counterclaim, arguing that Omollo had registered as Shabana’s coach on the Fifa Connect portal even after joining a rival team. The club claimed that this exposed them to possible sanctions from the federation and Fifa.
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