Jane Hato: Questions linger despite relief as Police Bullets midfielder found safe

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Jane Hato: Questions linger despite relief as Police Bullets midfielder found safe

Festus Chuma 10:20 - 16.08.2024

Concerns rise as U20 captain Jane Hato found safe amid troubling trend of athlete disappearances in Kenya.

On Friday morning, the nation breathed a collective sigh of relief as news broke of Jane Hato’s safe return.

The U20 Rising Starlets captain, who had mysteriously vanished, was found after intense searches by her family and local authorities.

However, her disappearance has reignited serious concerns regarding the safety of sportment in the region.

Jane Hato, an attacking midfielder with FKF Women's Premier League champions Kenya Police Bullets FC, was last seen dressed in a navy blue tracksuit and orange sports shoes.

Her departure from home was for a routine meet-up with her team before heading to Ethiopia for a Champions League zonal qualification match.

The anxiety began when she failed to show up at the designated meeting point at Police Sacco Stadium.

Her former club, Mathare United Women FC, where her mother, Ann Aluoch, serves as a coach, confirmed the reassuring news of her safety.

"We can confirm that Jane Hato is safe and sound. At the moment, let's give the family some privacy as they investigate what led to the disappearance of their daughter," the club stated in a release.

This disappearance echoes unsettling incidents involving other players, notably Halima Tadicha Abkula of the then Kangemi Ladies, who vanished in April 2023.

Halima was last seen after a match at Toi Grounds in Kibera and was found after a prolonged search that left her family and friends in despair.

In another alarming case, KCB FC goalkeeper Brian Opiyo Olang'o went missing in March and was later found in Ngong forest following a harrowing abduction ordeal.

Reports suggest that Opiyo was abducted near Taj Mall, with his kidnappers seizing his phone and draining his bank accounts.

The recent spate of disappearances has raised serious concerns about the safety of athletes in Kenya, prompting interventions at various levels of sports administration and government.

Chris Oguso, CEO of Police Football Clubs, expressed ongoing concern and dedication to solving these mysteries.

“It is disturbing that she has not been seen till now, but we are sure she is alive wherever she is. When we can’t find our player and we can’t tell where she is, we take it as a missing person case, as a club and as a government," Oguso stated in an interview with Citizen Digital.

Oguso also hinted at possible non-sporting causes behind Hato's disappearance.

“I don’t think it is related to football at all. It could be a family issue. Our police officers are on this to find out she is where and with who. Once this is sorted out and the player is ready, no doubt she will be linked up with the rest of her teammates in Ethiopia," he added.

The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) had earlier flagged Hato’s absence as a “concerning situation,” reflecting the growing anxiety around athlete safety.

The federation's swift response underscored the urgency and seriousness with which these cases are now being handled.

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