De Jongh gets Sh 1.5 million payout
AFC Leopards has finally cleared all salary arrears to its former coach Pieter de Jongh, totaling Sh 1.5 million.
This follows a decision by the Kenyan Premier League administration to offset the debt and deduct the amount from the club’s monthly grants.
“He has been cleared and has since left the country. We thank him for his contribution all through and wish him well in future,” a club official who did not wish to be named told Nairobi News.
Leopards fired the Dutch trainer last February after a seven-month stint, but failed to settle his dues.
This situation led to a public raw between the two parties that at some point involved the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nairobi.
The matter was eventually settled by KPL’s Independent Disciplinary and Complaints Committee (IDCC) which ruled after a hearing a fortnight back.
Leopards are currently facing a financial crisis owing to the abrupt withdrawal of Mumias Sugar Limited’s sponsorship earlier in the season.
SEVERED LINKS
At the same time, Shabana FC Chairman Jared Nivaton is considering severing links the FKF Premier League outfit, Nairobi News has reliably learnt.
Credible sources say Nivaton is disgruntled with a number of issues on how the club is being run, and is already on a go-slow, having kept away from team affairs for the past three months.
He was also reportedly severely affected by the KPL and FKF wars earlier this year, regarding whether the top flight league could constitute 16 or 18 teams.
“Nivaton invested millions during Shabana’s successful campaign last season. He did this with the understanding that the team will be promoted to the Kenyan Premier League so that he can recoup some of that money. As you all know that did not happen,” our source said.
In Nivaton’s absence, Shabana has struggled to even honour league matches this term, a situation that could worsen with the impending cancellation of monthly grants to the teams in the FKF Premier League by rights holders MP and Silva.
In the meantime, Richard Ekhalie and Gilbert Selebwa have quit their roles as the club’s CEO and technical director respectively citing unpaid allowances.
The playing staff and technical bench is also owed an estimated two months in salary arrears.