Over 50 referees and match commissioners set to oversee the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Busia County league underwent a two-day Performance Endurance Test over the weekend.
The test involving practical and class work was conducted by FKF instructors Caleb Amwai and Margaret Omondi in Busia town in preparation for the branch league set to kick off on January 7, 2023.
The aim of the test is to get physically fit for the Centre and Assistant Referees who are to officiate the top County league.
Besides practical work, the referees were taken through the latest development on the rules of the game especially law 12 which included handball, cautions and sendoffs, fouls and misconduct.
Speaking during the test exercise, FKF Busia Branch Chairman, Hillary Musundi, lauded the referees for their exemplary work in the 2021-2022 season which resulted in few negligible incidents.
“Better things are coming in your pursuit for excellence; be very competitive and market yourselves and you will go far,” Musundi advised the referees, giving them a 90 per cent rating.
He appealed to the referees not to sacrifice the women league by refusing to officiate their matches due to low payment as compared to the county league. He said this will be detrimental to the female football talent.
He called upon the referees and the match commissioners to always submit match reports within the stipulated time. “Before the main reports, you should submit flash reports to the
federation secretariat within 15 minutes after the match to facilitate instant updating of table standing and for publicity,” Musundi said.
Margaret Omondi, who doubles up as the National Executive Council member in charge of women football in the country, regretted that very few women in Busia County have taken up refereeing as a profession and the number keeps decreasing.
“I am in charge of development of referees in Kenya. In Busia, I have noted there are few referees in Nambale, Butula and Bunyala Sub Counties compared to Samia, Matayos, Teso South and Teso North Sub Counties. We need to change this,” she observed.
Amwai took the Match commissioners through the rules and regulations governing Kenyan football, their role during pre-match meetings and their obligations after matches.
Also in attendance included senior match assessor from Bungoma County Venacius Were who urged the match officials to leave football politics to those running its affairs. He reminded the officials that, that engaging in football politics will compromise their profession.
By Melechezedeck Ejakait
