KPL is no longer a viable competition and should be stopped - Shimanyula

Kakamega Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula has claimed there are too many problems in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL).

The KPL will be entering matchday six on October 19 and 20 and Shimanyula feels the competition must be halted until a viable solution is found.

The chair pointed to Saturday’s walkover which Sony Sugar gave AFC Leopards as one of the many problems in the league.

“The KPL has to be stopped now because even the referees are not being paid at all. One walkover has been witnessed already and I can tell there are lot more coming,” Shimanyula told Goal .

“The league must be halted until we get the house in order with good planning, where referees' welfare is taken care of and the general management of the KPL is sorted out.

“How can referees honour matches like those which are staged in Kakamega? You cannot depend on free lifts to go and officiate a match in a far area as this will also compromise their integrity and their level of competence.

“I pity the referees, the KPL management and teams which are struggling.”

Shimanyula further claimed KPL's competitiveness will dwindle if the teams' financial issues are not solved soon. He attributes a big portion of these problems to the exit of SportPesa as the league's title sponsor.

“The sponsor [SportPesa] which Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards were depending on has left and it is just the other day when Ingwe players did not train because of payment issues. What does it tell you? We are about to witness a number of regular walkovers!” he added.

“Chemelil Sugar are in deep problems and you cannot even talk about Sony Sugar. There are problems after problems when you are talking about KPL teams.

“When there are free points being dished out by teams, then there will never be a competitive tournament.”

The football administrator revealed Kakamega Homeboyz are ready to play until the end of the season though.

“[Kakamega] Homeboyz are ready to honour matches but my problem is one; will there be any competition when only teams which have sponsors are able to play and the others cannot play?” he quipped.