S. GitahiA man making sacrifices: Firat admits to getting no pay as Harambee Stars coach
Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 04.09.23. | 19:52
He was handed a new three-year contract by the FKF earlier this year after being in place on a short term three months contract
Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat on Monday 4 September admitted to not having none of his dues paid, nor getting salary from the the Government through the Ministry of Sports.
Drawing from a June 2023 pledge and assurance made by Sports Cabinet Secretary Amb. Ababu Namwamba on settling Firat’s unpaid dues, it appears that the same wasn't done, as his answer on a follow up question was as brief as it gets.
“For salaries, I will answer like this, to make it very clear,” he said. “There is nobody, nobody in Kenya football that makes more sacrifices than myself.”
Probed on what the response meant, he said: “Of course nothing is paid.”
The unfortunate claim comes after it was revealed in June that the coach had for close to six months, operated without pay, all in the background of Kenya’s participation in regular friendly matches against Mauritius, Pakistan, and now a twin of other matches against Qatar and South Sudan slated for 7 and 12 September.
“I am fully aware of the government obligations towards our national football teams and I can assure you that we are working closely to play our role that includes paying the team’s head coach and his assistants so that they can prepare our teams accordingly,” Namwamba told People Daily on 8 June 2023, while presenting a Ksh. 24 million funding set to be distributed to Harambee Stars and Starlets for their then upcoming international assignments. “I am optimistic that everything will be fine since it is a matter being taken care of.”
As reported on Mozzart Sport earlier this year, Firat extended his contract with the Football Kenya Federation as the men’s national team head coach, where it was indicated that he would earn a monthly salary of Ksh 1.5 Million, totaling to an annual salary to Ksh 18 million and Ksh 54 million for the three years he would be in charge.
As it stands, it would clock to eight months (approximately Ksh. 12 million) of unpaid dues.
That, is in itself not alien to Kenya’s football, as the federation was forced to pay former coach Adel Amrouche more than Ksh. 100 million after he was dismissed two years into his five year contract, with former coach Bobby Williamson being awarded millions of shillings for unfair termination.
That, as it seems, was just part of his concerns as he spoke to the media on Monday, as the country also grapples with a situation that could leave them playing their 2026 World Cup qualification matches on foreign soil.
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“Kakamega Homeboyz of course played their CAF Confederation game in Nyayo, and based on what FKF President Nick Mwendwa told me, Nyayo would still act as our temporary venue. Don’t ask me what that means, because our stadiums are not cleared,” he added.
