Okumbi named Stars interim first coach

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president, Nick Mwendwa, announced Saturday Harambee Stars boss Bobby Williamson has been asked to step aside with  Stanley Okumbi, installed as first coach in the interim.

The former SportPesa Premier League side, Mathare United and Kariobangi Sharks (associated with Mwendwa) boss will be assisted by ex-Stars skipper, Musa Otieno and Frank Ouna as FKF works to resolve the Ksh30m owed to the Scottish national Williamson who’s contract ends in August.

The changes in the national team technical bench were announced when Mwendwa was reading the state of Kenyan Football in Nairobi where he said the cash strapped local governing body he inherited from Sam Nyamweya a fortnight ago was saddled with Sh172m in debt.

The monies are owed to the previous technical bench, staff salaries, utility bills, hosts and other service providers and the process to validate their authenticity by the Finance Committee was going on for due diligence.

Michael Igendia was appointed the Performance Analyst with Mike Kamure coming in as the Logistics Specialist with two consultants, a nutritionist and psychologist as well as a video analyst joining the newly formatted technical bench.

“I’m asking Kenyans that we invest in youthful coaches, the next generation of coaches. The concept is to have a team effort to put together the tools and machinery required to drive the team. Having coaches alone in today’s environment will not work,” Mwendwa said as he announced the new changes.

Williamson was appointed in June 2013 by Nyamweya to succeed Belgian Adel Amrouche after the latter was banned by CAF over a spitting incident when Stars played Comoros Islands in a 2018 World Cup pre-qualifier.

“We are not replacing Bobby Williamson, we ask him to step aside to allow time to settle the contract, our own view is that its an expensive contract. The people we are asking to come with us have a long time initiative. I need to be understood that we have not yet agreed on Bobby Williamson’s contract,” the new FKF boss who will travel to Zurich on Sunday for the FIFA Congress clarified.

“We have good technical players and we believe we can change the style and system of play,” Mwendwa emphasised.

“On my side I have qualified trainers whom I believe we are going to deliver. We have full support from FKF and we are going to do a good job,” Okumbi who led Mathare to an eighth finish in the 2015 SPL remarked at the unveiling.

Mwendwa further announced his new administration had secured a sponsor for Stars and the team will be reconvened in camp before the FKF top brass leave for Zurich.

“We are working to raise funds for the Starlets because we have no kit for them. We have tentatively secured a partner for Harambee Stars, we will unveil them as soon as we are back from FIFA elections where a very big youth initiative will be unveiled too.

“Every month we shall call you to come and see the state of our game. I will sit with the secretariat on March 16 at the Goal Project to discuss a few thing regarding the game.”

The new local federation boss said his vote for the new FIFA President will be discussed beforehand with other CAF members in the push for Africa to support one candidate.

“We are traveling to Zurich on Sunday, the team will leave on Monday or Tuesday. We will discuss with other African delegates to see the way our vote will go and we will give you those details a few days to come,” the FKF boss stated on the race to succeed the disgraced Sepp Blatter at the helm of the world governing body.

Speaking at the same function, his vice-president, Doris Petra declared the technical bench of the national women’s team Harambee Starlets led by David Ouma will remain intact.

“We have retained the technical bench because of time. All those players that are around Nairobi will be meeting for a fitness test with the technical bench. We are committed to forming the women’s association that will run the women’s league.

“We want to give the ladies opportunities just like the men and the branches also will have women leagues,” Petra added.

Report by Abdi Rizack