Football Kenya Federation (FKF) have run into trouble with champions Gor Mahia following their controversial decision to award Tusker this year's Cecafa Club Championship slot.
The development has prompted a bitter protest from Gor who immediately wrote to the regional football governing body in a frantic attempt to nip the decision in the bud.
"We write to confirm our participation in the Cecafa Kagame Cup 2021 tournament slated for Dar es Salaam,” read a letter written on Thursday by Gor chairman Ambrose Rachier to Cecafa executive director Auka Gecheo.
"We will forward the official list of players and technical bench who will make the trip to the country by virtue of being the defending league champions as had been directed by the federation," continued the letter.
Gecheo confirmed they had received official correspondence from FKF confirming Tusker as Kenya's representatives.
"We got a letter confirming Tusker as Kenya’s representatives in the tournament," he said.
The 18-time Kenyan champions insist they ought to have earned the slot automatically by virtue of being the defending champions and given Tusker are yet to bag this season's title.
Tusker sit pretty at the summit of the FKF-PL log with 54 points from 26 matches, four clear of second-placed KCB.
FKF’s decision goes contrary to an earlier statement made by FKF President Nick Mwendwa on April 25 that Gor would be proceed to the tournament as Kenya's flag bearers.
"The law says the former champions will represent the country in the case of Kagame Cup and continental competitions, so the slot will go to Gor Mahia,” Mwendwa had said then.
The annual event, however, failed to kick off last year as planned after sporting activities stuttered into stagnation following the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.
This year's event has been slated for August 1-15 in Dar-es-Salaam Tanzania. The draws will be conducted on July 27 – a week heading into the opening ceremony.
Both Tanzania and Uganda will field two slots each. Whereas KCCA of Uganda come into the regional showpiece as defending champions, Express are the reigning Ugandan Premier League champions.
Other than the two Ugandan sides, Tusker will lock horns with Young Africans SC, Azam FC (Tanzania), Altabara FC (South Sudan), Le Messager Ngozi FC (Burundi), APR (Rwanda) and KMKM SC (Zanzibar). Big Bullets FC of Malawi will make an appearance as invited guests.
