Besieged Gor Mahia general-secretary Sam Ochola attended the Football Kenya Federation Premier League tie against Tusker fully secured as he feared attacks from restless fans.
Ochola and the club’s chairman Ambrose Rachier have been at loggerheads on the StarTimes deal and that is one of the reasons the former had to attend the second season game without taking chances with his security.
“Personal security is very key,” a source close to the secretary-general told Goal.
“He had to come in a manner that assured no one is going to attack him given the frosty relationship that has developed between him and the chairman.
“Gor Mahia fans love their team and the majority see the successes achieved, all have come because of Rachier’s leadership and anyone who is seen as an opponent automatically becomes a target of hooliganism and related attacks.
“Ochola was not only afraid of goons and violent fans alone, you know even the club’s stewards can rain blows on you. They really do not care so long as they see that you are the problem.
“There is no way he could have attended the game without taking steps to assure he was well-guarded. It was not a sign of supremacy in the battle with the chair but it was simply a matter of personal security.”
Ochola, through a letter to FKF, maintained Gor Mahia endorsed the StarTimes deal but Rachier has maintained that the position of the club has not changed.
When he moved to dismiss the Ochola letter to FKF, Rachier suspended the official and claimed he took the decision against the unilateral stand of the Kenyan heavyweights.
“The letter was written without our authority and the secretary-general [Sam Ochola] knows our stance,” Rachier stated in an earlier interview.
“We have external forces pushing me to resign from my post.
“At this moment, that is not important, the important issue is ensuring our rights are not interfered with. I am dealing with it and later on, I will focus on other issues.”
Gor Mahia have already played two games both of which enjoyed airtime.
Zoo FC, Mathare United and Ulinzi Stars have also not endorsed the deal. Zoo and Mathare, after being expelled, have been reinstated to the top-tier by the Sports Disputes Tribunal.
