All FKF-PL players to get Covid-19 jabs: Mwendwa
Tusker winger Boniface Muchiri (third left) leads teammates in celebrating his opening goal during their Football Kenya Federation Premier League match against Ulinzi Stars at Kasarani Annex on March 5, 2021.
What you need to know:
- Federation boss confident top flight club competition will restart soon
- The day-long inoculation targeting 700 players and match officials will be done at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani as part of concerted efforts from the federation to ensure players are protected against contracting Covid-19.
Football Kenya Federation president Nick Mwendwa on Thursday announced that all players in the top league will be vaccinated on tomorrow signalling hope that action may soon resume.
The day-long inoculation targeting 700 players and match officials will be done at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani as part of concerted efforts from the federation to ensure players are protected against contracting Covid-19.
Mwendwa told Nation Sport that the government, through the Ministry of Sports, had provided the vaccines and players will be issued with Covid-19 compliant certificates once they are inoculated.
Mwendwa said players outside Nairobi will be vaccinated where they are based.
“We wrote to the Ministry of Sports calling for the resumption of the league. The Saturday exercise will ensure that we comply with the outlined requirement then again we return to the ministry having complied and request for resumption. I’m confident the league will return soon,” said Mwendwa.
The government stopped sports activities for a second time within a year last month due to a spike in coronavirus cases and restricted movement in five counties.
Former champions Tusker were perched at the top of the log on 36 points from 16 rounds while Zoo Kericho were bottom on eight points from 14 games.
The federation president said he was also in talks with the government to include National Super League, Women Premier League and lower leagues players in the vaccination programme.
“We are planning for all the league to return and that is why we have to ensure all players at all levels are vaccinated,” he added.
He said that with the league resuming, local-based Harambee Stars players will be able to satisfactorily maintain match fitness and ease in to early preparations for the World Cup qualifiers that kick off in June.
At the same time, Mwendwa said clubs will not receive their monthly Sh880,000 grant from league title sponsor BetKing for the month of April because no matches were taking place.
“The sponsor has not withdrawn only that they have stopped remitting money which has been paid up to March for all clubs,” said Mwendwa.
