The ugly face of hooliganism in Kenyan football reared its ugly face once again on Sunday at Gusii Stadium in Kisii County as Shabana and Gor Mahia fans clashed hours to their Football Kenya Federation Premier League match.
The violence, which has since left several fans injured, broke out after Shabana and Gor fans fought over which area to occupy at the terraces.
The terraces section at the stadium are directly opposite the VIP dais and have been named as G1 to G13.
Apart from the VIP dais, which was open for fans of both teams, the organisers of the fixture had allocated Shabana fans 10 ordinary stands while Gor Mahia was only given three.
However, the three stands were not enough to accommodate the of Gor Mahia fans who quickly filled the stands as early as 11am.
On seeing that Shabana fans had been allocated more space, Gor Mahia fans started forcing their way onto the other stands.
As a result, violence broke out as both fans started engaging each other by hurling stones at each other.
The carnival atmosphere which had already been created by the excitement of the fans for the fixture, then quickly turned into running battles as police officers in the stadium struggled to contain the situation.
Several fans, majority of them being women, were injured and had to be rushed by awaiting ambulances to hospital.
There was much talk before the fixture about the suitability of Gusii Stadium to host this high risk match because of the huge following by the two teams.
Violence erupted at Gusii Stadium after Shabana and Gor Mahia fans clashed before the FKF Premier League match on May 4, 2025.
Photo credit: Wycliffe Nyaberi | Nation Media Group
While Gor Mahia had wanted the fixture to be staged in an alternative venue, that would accommodate more fans, while Shabana insisted that the match had to be played at the 12,000 capacity venue.
Tension had also been building with debate on which team would carry the day, something which former Shabana player Benard Pepe believes could have also been a contributing factor to the violence witnessed.
"Fans from both teams have been engaging each other in online banters on who will have the last laugh. I suspect that could have also flared up the tempers coming into this match," Mr Pepe said.
Earlier on before the violence broke out, Kisii Town was brought to a standstill as Shabana and Gor fans trickled into the stadium.
By 11:30 am, the stadium was already full to capacity even as more fans queued outside waiting to be granted entry.
For the first in its history, Gusii Stadium has been fitted with pitch side LED screens for advertising and other endorsements.
Shabana has been in good form while playing at home. They have made the stadium a fortress for visiting teams since January when the club appointed Peter Okidi as coach to replace Sammy "Pamzo" Omollo.
Shabana are placed fourth in the standings with 46 points while Gor Mahia are a place above them with 50 points.
