Gor Mahia chairman Rachier drums up support for community clubs amid financial constraints

Former Kenyan Premier League Limited (KPL) chairman, Ambrose Rachier has urged the government to look for ways to support community clubs currently facing financial challenges.

Rachier was speaking Monday in Nairobi after Mathare United issued a walkover for the first time in their 28-year history on Sunday citing financial constraints. Mathare were scheduled to host Bandari in a league match at Kasarani Annex on Sunday but failed to honour the fixture. 

The long serving Gor Mahia chairman said Kenyan football started suffering after broadcast partners SuperSport left Kenya in 2017 following a court battle between Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and Kenya Premier League Limited (KPL).

Rachier said that since the South-African pay TV channel called it quits, Kenyan football has never gotten a reliable broadcast sponsor.

Nick Mwendwa’s FKF who wanted to directly control the league finances forced their way to have an 18-team league which was against SuperSport and KPL contract that clearly stipulated 16 teams.

After SuperSport's exit, FKF failed to honour their promise of offering proper financial support to clubs. KPL also suffered a silent death after FKF took over the mandate of running the top tier, and since then the state of Kenyan football and in particular the Premier League has turned for the worse.

FKF had promised to give KPL financial support for having 18-teams in the league. They never did until SportPesa came to the rescue, only for the betting firm to halt their operations after their license was revoked by the government in October 2019.They were accused of not paying taxes running into millions.

Rachier revealed that things are not rosy at Gor especially after the FKF Caretaker Committee banned them from using Nyayo and Kasarani for their home matches. 

“With very little gate collection being realised, Gor Mahia is the most hit club today, given that we have no place to play in Nairobi owing to the ban imposed by the FKF Caretaker Committee. After Mathare, I expect to see more clubs follow suit. I don’t encourage hooliganism, but what are the stadiums made for?

“We are forced to long distances from Nairobi to host our matches in Narok or Kisumu sometimes coming back with only Sh7,000 as net after all the costs. We have no money since we were banned from playing at Nyayo and Kasarani stadiums. We need somebody to talk of stadia, because our fans don’t know where to go! The government must get interested in stadium management,“ he said.

“We are appealing to the Caretaker Committee to allow us host the derby at Nyayo or Kasarani on May 8 because other venues are in pathetic condition save for Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega which is still undergoing facelift. For us it’s only Narok and Thika which cannot host a derby. Where are we going? Kisumu is draining!” fumed Rachier. 

Rachier, who put Gor Mahia’s monthly wage bill at Sh4.4 million, said Gor Mahia spends Sh600,000 travelling by bus to play in Kisumu or Mombasa and Sh300,000 by air, adding that flights are more cheaper.

With only 16 days remaining before FKF Caretaker Committee’s term expires, Rachier said the roadmap for Kenyan football is sitll uncertain.

"What are we doing on the Fifa ban? Are we talking to them? What are we doing about the Caretaker Committee? Are we extending their term or are we doing elections? We don’t know whether there will be elections or normalisation committee with only weeks to go," said Rachier. 

Rachier also complained that the Sh300,000 monthly grant promised by FKF Caretaker Committee as logistical support to the 18 top tier clubs takes ages before it is released.