The Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF-PL) title race intensified on Sunday as defending champions Gor Mahia returned to winning ways against Mara Sugar while Tusker stumbled against Mathare United.
Meanwhile, a police officer, who was among those tasked with maintaining security at Dandora Stadium – the venue of both matches – is on the spot after assaulting Daily Nation photojournalist Chris Omollo, leading to his admission to hospital.
Against debutant Mara, Gor put behind their internal wrangles to win 4-0 while Tusker lost 2-1 to Mathare.
In the other FKF-PL matches played on Sunday, Ulinzi Stars hammered relegation-threatened FC Talanta 4-0 at Ulinzi Sports Complex while Kakamega Homeboyz battled to a barren draw with Sofapaka at Mumias Sports Complex.
After playing 28 matches, Kenya Police tops the 18-team league with 52 points, just one more than second-placed Tusker. Gor are third with 50 points, four more than fourth-placed Shabana.
Gor’s technical bench has since early this month been hit with wrangles, with the team’s coach Sinisa Mihic accusing his assistants Zedekiah Otieno and Michael Nam and Team Manager Victor Nyaoro of sabotaging him.
Although they quickly mended fences, the cracks within the technical bench again emerged on April 19, when Mihic - who was watching their match against Sofapaka from the stands due to suspension - stormed out of Dandora Stadium, accusing the assistant coaches of failing to implement his instructions in the match that ended 1-1.
On Sunday, Mihic marked his return to the touchline in style after a two-match absence, with Shariff Musa, Enock Morrison, Gedeon Bendeka, and Alpha Onyango scoring a goal apiece.
It was while waiting to be granted access to the stadium where Gor were hosts that an overzealous police officer assaulted photojournalist Omollo.
According to Omollo’s colleagues, who were with him at the time of the incident, one police officer had instructed them to wait before being granted access to the venue after they identified themselves as journalists.
However, another officer struck Omollo in the back of the head, causing him to collapse.
The officers then blocked Omollo’s colleagues from assisting him, with some even shouting that they be removed from the area.
It took the intervention of a senior police officer for Omollo’s colleagues to be allowed to assist him where he had fallen.
While assuring them that an ambulance had been called, the senior officers urged the journalists not to escalate the matter.
“It was shocking because we did not provoke them. We were waiting by the gate for the match’s stewards to give us access to the stadium when one police officer hit my colleague on the head,” said one of Omollo’s colleagues.
In most cases, it is the police officers from Rapid Deployment Unit who have been providing security at FKF-PL matches.
While some fans often provoke the officers through abuse and attempts to force their way into the stadium, there have also been widespread complaints of some of the officers harassing journalists and fans arriving to cover or attend matches.
