Parents of over 110 Kenyan kids drawn from different football academies and schools breathed a sigh of relief on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, after their children, who were stranded in Tanzania for failing to pay hotel fees, finally returned home.
The kids had attended the annual East Africa Chipukizi Football Tournament in Arusha.
According to Kenyan journalist Carol Radull, parents had each paid Ksh 50,000 to sponsor their children’s trip.
Also Read: Football Academies That Shaped Top Kenyan Footballers
“Ligi ndogo players finally travelled back home after being stranded in Tanzania despite parents paying Ksh 50K per child.
“The organisers had failed to pay the service providers and the kids had been detained briefly in a hotel in Tanzania,” she stated.
Moreover, parents were forced to look for an alternative means of transport for their children after the owner of the bus, which had ferried them to Arusha, refused to cross the Namanga border unless the organizers paid for the services rendered.
Police were forced to intervene to help the minors and their coaches, who spent much of Monday night in the cold.
It is alleged that ex-Football Kenya Federation (FKF) executive committee member Chris Amimo, was one of the involved parties.
Amimo is the owner of the Nairobi-based Ligi Ndogo Academy, which is claimed to have organized the trip to Tanzania.
Kenyan club, Real Gonga FC, won the high-profile tournament after hammering Runda FC 3-1 in an entertaining final.
Also Read: Ababu Sets Out to Market Kenyan Football, Pushes for TV Deal