Harambee Stars: Francis Kimanzi named coach to replace Sebastien Migne

The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) have appointed Francis Kimanzi as the new head coach of the Harambee Stars.

The former Mathare United tactician will be unveiled on Friday after the federation agreed to hand him a two-year contract to handle the side, following the exit of Frenchman Sebastien Migne on Monday.

According to a top FKF source, Kimanzi will be assisted by KCB coach Zedekiah Otieno.

“We have settled for Kimanzi to handle the national team for the next two years,” the source told Goal on Wednesday.

“He [Kimanzi] will be unveiled on Friday alongside the new technical bench which will consist of Zedekiah [Otieno] as his assistant.”

Asked to explain why the federation had opted against hiring a foreign coach, the source said: “Foreign coaches sometimes come up with tough demands which are not easy to meet and I think it is high time we tried out our own local coaches, for a short-term solution.

“We are looking at getting a quick solution and engaging foreign coaches now will take our time. I think we will settle for our own coaches here to drive the team forward but when the time comes, we can go foreign again.

“Like Sebastien [Migne] when he came on board, he asked to come along with his backroom staff which is also a bit expensive for us.

"If you don’t provide the same, the coach will not sign a contract, or he will take up the job but when he fails, he will use it as a scapegoat.”

Kimanzi was the assistant to Migne during his time with the side and a month ago quit his post at Mathare United to fully concentrate on national team matters.

Kimanzi is not new to Harambee Stars job. He was appointed full-time manager of the team on December 11, 2008, having held the post as a caretaker coach since May 2008.

He was sacked from the post after the 2008 Cecafa Cup in January 2009 due to disputes between him and Kenyan football administrators.

After a one-year spell coaching Sofapaka, he was reappointed as head coach of the Kenyan national team in November 2011.

In June 2012, he was sacked as manager of Kenya alongside his entire coaching staff after the country failed to qualify for the 2013 African Cup of Nations.

After coaching Tusker, he returned to Mathare United as manager in 2015.