•No one knows why the brewers are keen to keep the midfielder even after Matano made it clear he was not part of his future plans.
•Tusker chairman Daniel Aduda has asked Ominde to follow the right procedure and terminate the contract if he desperately wants to move on.
Image: FILE
Histrionics abound in Kenyan football. In what has become a norm now, a bad incident always rears its ugly head every once in the season, and this week was no exception.
On Monday, Kenyan Premier League champions Tusker were caught up in the thick of a botched transfer saga after their midfielder Faraj Ominde cited frustrations in his efforts to obtain a release letter from the Ruaraka-based club.
Trouble began when Ominde was mentioned among 11 players reportedly axed by head coach Robert Matano.
Following the development, the midfielder made an instant leap to rivals Bandari and had actually penned a deal with them, only for his dreams to be nipped in the bud, much to his chagrin.
Ominde contends Tusker have left his hands tied and the only option left at his disposal is legal redress.
No one knows why the brewers are keen to keep the midfielder even after Matano made it clear he was not part of his future plans.
Tusker chairman Daniel Aduda has asked Ominde to follow the right procedure and terminate the contract if he desperately wants to move on. His statement, however, reeks of mischief given the brewers have virtually terminated the contract on a technicality.
Ominde's case is reminiscent of a similar tussle KCB defender Robinson Kamura found himself in during his days at AFC Leopards.
Whereas Kamura had expressed a burning desire to dump the 13-time champions, the club clung to him. In an interview with the Star, team manager Tom Juma was categorical they were not keen to release the centre-back.
Like in Ominde's case, it made no sense at all for Leopards to lock up Kamura in the den when it was quite obvious he had been sidelined by coach Patrick Aussems.
Kamura said he had approached the management and expressed a desire to move on but they were unwilling to let him go.
Kamura had increasingly become disenchanted after sliding down the pecking order in the lineup. The defender found himself warming the bench for the better part of the season, especially after the arrival of Aussems, who burst his bubble even further by stripping him off the captaincy.
Curiously though, the two incidents are not in isolation. On February 4, world football governing body Fifa banned two Kenyan clubs, Gor Mahia and Wazito, from signing new players.
The development came after Gor failed to pay Tanzania winger Dickson Ambudo Sh1.2 million. Ambundo left Gor Mahia in 2020 to link up with Dodoma Jiji before Fifa ordered the club to pay him Sh1.2 million accrued from salary arrears and allowances.
On the other hand, Wazito failed to offset a Sh1 million debt owed to Liberian Augustin Otu. Apart from Otu, four other players also reported Wazito to Fifa.
On March 24, Fifa cracked the whip again after Leopards failed to settle Sh1.8 million debt owed to Rwandan midfielder Vincent Habamahoro.
Employers have a duty to treat their staff with dignity and Kenyan football clubs are not exempted from this pertinent principle.
Employees have a right to demand for what rightfully belongs to them and must be granted such devoid of any theatrics that could unnecessarily end up in the corridors of justice.