AFC Leopards Football Club, one of Kenya’s oldest and most revered teams, narrowly avoided losing their team bus, a significant donation by former President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday, September 11.
The incident unfolded at Jamhuri Grounds when auctioneers, supported by youths on motorcycles and police officers, made a bold attempt to seize the bus in a bid to settle an unpaid debt.
The debt in question relates to former Leopards’ defender Robert Mudenyu, who took legal action after his contract was unlawfully terminated. Mudenyu, a once-pivotal player, was awarded nearly Ksh1 million by the Sports Disputes Tribunal in December last year.
However, despite the ruling, the club failed to make good on the payment, prompting Mudenyu to take drastic steps by involving auctioneers to recover what was rightfully his.
President Uhuru Kenyatta hands a bus to AFC Leopards, March 10, 2020.
Photo
PCS
In a scene that could have shaken the club’s already fragile financial standing, the auctioneers delivered a seizure order to AFC Leopards’ accountant on September 3, demanding the release of the bus, office equipment, and other assets. The accountant, however, refused to acknowledge the order.
In a bid to enforce the order, auctioneers went to take away the iconic blue and white bus, a symbol of pride for the club, which would have been carted off to be auctioned—a humiliating spectacle for the team and its loyal supporters.
The fans of AFC Leopards, particularly from the Kibra area, played an essential role in averting the disaster.
Upon learning of the imminent seizure, they rushed to Jamhuri Grounds and confronted the auctioneers, preventing them from leaving with the bus. It was a symbolic victory for the fans, who have stood by the club through its highs and lows.
The bus at the center of the storm holds more than just practical value for the club. Donated by Uhuru Kenyatta, it was a gift meant to bolster AFC Leopards’ logistical needs and inspire the team to greater heights.
When Kenyatta handed over the bus at a ceremony in State House, Nairobi, he commended the team for its management and urged them to raise the standards of Kenyan football. Yet, despite the former president’s support, the club now faces the embarrassment of losing this vital asset due to poor financial planning.
But this incident is far from over. Mudenyu, determined to secure his payment, is unlikely to back down.
This isn’t an isolated incident in Kenyan football. AFC Leopards now find themselves in a growing list of clubs grappling with unpaid debts and the looming threat of asset seizures.
Earlier this year, Sofapaka’s team bus was auctioned off for Ksh1 million to settle outstanding dues to former players.
Gor Mahia faced a similar fate in March when their bus was sold for the same amount, following a debt owed to Wellington Ochieng, a former player.
AFC Leopards bus packed in Nairobi.
Photo
Courtesy
