Police are detaining three suspects in match-fixing in Kasarani, Nairobi.
They are Martin Munga Mutua from Kenya, Bernard Navendi from Uganda, and Akhiad Kubiev from Russia.
Festo Omukoto, a former football player, and seven other Nairobi City Stars players, who they had approached, to help fix their Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF-PL)play on Saturday at Ruaraka Stadium in Nairobi vs Sofapaka, trio was detained on Friday at around 10 p.m. in Zimmerman.
If the arrangement were successful, the players would receive Sh1.8 million ($14,000). They were supposed to get Sh30,000 each via Mpesa as transportation to the match location as part of the ruse.
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If the arrangement were successful, the players would receive Sh1.8 million ($14,000). They were supposed to get Sh30,000 each via Mpesa as transportation to the match location as part of the ruse.
The accused claimed to have infiltrated various neighbourhood clubs after allegedly bragging to the police that they were "highly connected" and trying to bribe them with Sh1 million.
Trap Set By City Stars
The room they were in and found by law enforcement after receiving a tip from City Stars CEO Patrick Korir contained just mattresses.
After recording their statement with Korir and Samson Otieno, the club's coordinator, the players went home at midnight.
Omukoto, who in 2020 was one of four local players found guilty of match-fixing and banned by Fifa from participating in any football-related activity for four years, claimed the suspects have been pleading with him for the past month to put them in touch with City Stars players who they can use to recruit them into the vice.
The other players, Festus Okiring and Moses Chikati received four-year bans, while George Mandela, a player from Uganda, received a lifetime ban.
Omukoto, who has maintained his innocence, stated that he did not want future football players to experience the same plight after the ban damaged his promising football career. He claims that after telling Otieno and the other seven players about the situation, he and Korir planned to set them up for failure.
"Match-fixing destroyed my career and is still destroying football today. Omukoto stated, "I didn't want the gamers to experience what I did".
The City Stars vs Sofapaka suspects instructed Simba wa Nairobi to allow a goal in the first 10 minutes and take a break down 1-0.
The suspects were to place another live wager between the 70th and 78th minute of the match that City Stars would give up two more goals in the final ten minutes of play. Sofapaka could add another goal if City Stars scored.
Otieno says, "They claim that they are dealing with numerous local clubs and only pay once the deal is complete as certain clubs are not cooperative." He also stated that the suspects claimed that weekday matches bring in more money than those played on the weekends.
Make Match-Fixing Illegal
He stated that if the players continued cooperating, the suspects would increase the money they paid them in future games.
Korir thanked Omukoto and the City Stars players for upholding morality. He emphasized that it was time for Parliament to approve legislation making match-fixing illegal.
"I have previously discussed it, but match manipulation in the FKF-PL is for granted by most people. I'm delighted we can now identify the voices we have been hearing", Korir added.
The event occurred just a month after he disclosed how unidentified individuals made futile attempts to persuade the club to agree to rig its games in exchange for a significant monetary payout.
On February 21, Korir disclosed during NTV's Monday night sports program SportOn! that sometime in 2021, one of his players with City Stars had received a $10,000 (Sh1,261,300 at the time) offer to help rig their FKF-PL match versus Nzoia Sugar, which took place at Narok Stadium.
The player, who Korir did not name, was asked to persuade at least three team members to accept the contract terms, and they were to make sure that the Simba wa Nairobi team lost to Nzoia. The player informed him of the request's failure. Therefore it still needs to be fulfilled.
The CEO claimed he advised the player to keep talking to the subject to learn more information and build more proof against him in the hope of putting him in jail.
However, Fifa advised City Stars to warn the athlete to stop talking to the match-fixer through FKF because he might eventually work with him.
Investigations By FKF
The second incident occurred at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani Annex, only moments before they met Kenya Police in another FKF-PL match.
The CEO revealed that he received a WhatsApp message from someone posing as the president of a betting company in Turkey pleading with him to share the contest's outcomes in advance so that they may include the match on their betting platform.
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According to Korir, the individual told him he had obtained his mobile number from one of his players. When he realized he was trying to attract him to manipulate the match, he quickly ceased engaging.
In connection with match-fixing charges, the FKF is now looking into 17 people, including players and coaches. They are no longer permitted to participate in any national football events by the federation.
