Football Kenya Federation Premier League side Vihiga United have appointed Mike Muriri as the new head coach after Sammy Okoth failed to report to work.
Okoth's departure isn't surprising, given he had already raised concerns about the club's financial constraints which he said made their survival in the top-flight league difficult.
Mururi returns to step in the shoes of the man who replaced him in April 2019 after Vihiga sent him packing due to unimpressive results. His first real test will be in a league encounter against Mathare United on Sunday.
He boasts of a wealth of experience on the bench, having had previous stints with Chemelil Sugar, Kakamega Homeboyz, and lately Sofapaka where he had been until his recent appointment.
In April, the struggling top-tier returnees announced they were parting ways with their technical director, Nick Yakhama 'on mutual consent as detrimental effects of Covid-19 began to hit local clubs hard.
The Vihiga lads have struggled to stay afloat after a torrid start to the season. They are currently 15th on the log with 11 points, just one spot shy of a relegation threat.
They made a grand return to the top tier after eliminating Kisumu All-Stars in the promotion/relegation playoffs.
On January 11, Yakhama and head coach Sammy Okoth tendered their resignation letters to club management after allegedly toiling for six months without pay.
However, they elected to continue with their duties after a meeting with the club a couple of days later.
The duo explained why they initially opted to resign from the Western-based team.
“Okoth and I handed in our resignation letters because of the circumstances surrounding us,” Yakhama had said then.
“We have not been paid our salaries for the last six months and this is going to be our seventh month. And prior to our action, nothing concrete had been done by those responsible.
“So we sat down with the coach and felt the better thing to do is to resign.
"The management has, however, refused to let us go, saying they are looking for a solution,” Yakhama added.
Yakhama and Okoth were both appointed to their roles in August 2019 to help the team get promotion from the National Super League (NSL) to the top-tier.
They achieved their objective when Vihiga shook off a first-leg 2-1 setback and saw off All-Stars 5-3 on post-match penalties at Moi Stadium in Kisumu to secure promotion. Despite winning the first leg, All-Stars crashed 2-1 in the return fixture.
