Western Stima players challenge club’s decision to slash their salaries
Western Stima became the second Kenyan Premier League (KPL) side to impose salary cuts on all its players due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The KPL has been halted for slightly over a month now following the government’s directive banning public gatherings and imposing travel sanctions within counties and as result football teams have been inactive.
Kakamega Homeboyz was the first KPL side to impose a 50% pay cut early this month while Nairobi News has reliably learned that Western Stima has now followed suit.
However, Western Stima players are up in arms with the decision as it was imposed without consultation effective from their March salaries.
The players and the technical bench have now written to the club’s chairman, Laban Jobita, seeking answers.
“We would bring to your attention that our March salaries were deducted by 50% without our consent yet the league has been stopped indefinitely,” a letter by the playing and coaching units to the chairman reads in part.
PLAYERS’ CONTRACTS
“The letter we signed to facilitate the payment of our March salaries had no such information of the 50% deduction and we are inconvenienced with the action. We are requesting the office to kindly address the issue,” it concludes.
When reached for comment, Jobita termed the issue as an internal matter that he would address at the club level and not through the media.
Western Stima is sponsored by Kenya Power, and the parastatal has over time insisted it cannot comment on matters relating to player contracts and payments as the players are contracted to the team itself and not the company.