Government secures release of Harambee Stars TM Willis Waliaula

Th government has secured the release of Harambee Stars Team Manager Willis Waliaula who had been detained in Ethiopia over Harambee Stars hotel bill.

The Ministry of Sport cleared the bill of 41,154 Ethiopian Birr (Ksh199,412) which Harambee Stars owed Endale & Family Churchill Hotel, accrued over their one and a half week stay during the CECAFA tournament.

Waliaula was detained in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia over unpaid hotel bill on Thursday night when the rest of team was departing for Kenya.

Waliaula’s passport was also confiscated to prevent him from flying to Nairobi together with the rest of the Kenyan team.

The confusion resulted from Football Kenya Federation’s (FKF) apparent negligence after they send a delegation of 23 players and eight officials to Ethiopia for the CECAFA tournament two weeks ago, contrary to the organisers’ stipulation of 20 players and five officials.

This therefore meant that CECAFA was only responsible for the accommodation cost of 25 people leaving the extra 6 in the travelling party out of their budget.

Meanwhile. the issues surrounding Harambee Stars are being debated at the Senate sitting Thursday afternoon.

The new developments came about as Harambee Stars departed Ethiopia for Kenya at 1am on Thursday, a day after losing 5-3 to Rwanda on penalties in the quarter finals of the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup.

Kenya and Rwanda wasted a host of chances in the match to end the regular time at 0-0 leading to penalties.

Kenya’s campaign was marred by cases of boycott and indiscipline among a section of players, with the lowest moment being their 3-1 loss to Zanzibar in their last group match which almost cost them a place in the quarter finals.

Harambee Stars progression into the quarter finals was however assured after Uganda beat Burundi 2-0 in their last group match on Saturday.

The defeat meant that Kenya, who are the tournament’s defending Champions, will miss out on what had been perceived as a consolation trophy after they were bundled out of World Cup Qualifiers last month, going down 2-0 away to Cape Verde to cancel out their 1-0 home win in Nairobi.