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In recent days, Kenyan clubs have opted to suspend rather than sack outrightly underperforming coaches only for a replacement to be unveiled immediately, but is this even right?
According to the Oxford dictionary, suspension is the act of officially removing somebody from their job or team for a period of time.
This is usually as punishment for a period of time until a decision is made. The decision can be to return them to their job or relieve them of their duties after deliberations or investigations.
However, in Kenyan football, the word is gaining another meaning. Over the course of this season, a number of coaches have been ‘suspended’ over poor results only for their replacement to be unveiled a day or two later.
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Nzoia Sugar are rock bottom of the FKFPL which has prompted the club management into suspending coach Steve Biko after managing the side for just four games.
Last week, Nzoia Sugar suspended interim coach Steve Biko just four games into his reign over poor results and appointed Mike Mururi to replace him two days later.
Taking cue from them, FC Talanta suspended coach Ken Kenyatta over poor results last weekend, and while his assistant Jackson Gatheru took charge on an interim basis, that looks to be the end of the tactician who has been at the helm since 2020.
It is not just in the top flight, even in the lower leagues, coaches are getting ‘suspended’ for not meeting the targets when replacements have already been sought and just waiting in the wings.
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Suspension seems the new form of sacking coaches, something rarely seen in the game where parting of ways on mutual consent or outright dismissals are the norm when it comes to poor performance.
So, why are teams embracing this new way of firing underperforming tacticians who do not have any disciplinary issues?
“Every club has its constitution which they follow and it depends on what it says about the position of the coach,” says AFC Leopards CEO Albert Wesonga.
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“The other thing is that each coach has a different contract. They are those whose contracts say you cannot sack them outrightly, otherwise you get into problems. Like at AFC Leopards, we are paying heavily because of a contract breach with a coach and so it is up to the club to ensure they protect themselves.”
Like Wesonga, legal experts see nothing wrong with the decision to suspend a coach over poor results instead of an outright parting of ways.
“The labour laws do not allow you to condemn someone unheard,” lawyer Robert Asembo told Pulse Sports.
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“Suspension means you are giving room for disciplinary measures. Whatever the reason, there must be a hearing, defence, reaction, and response before a decision is made.”
While it is not known whether the clubs that have gone down this route give the coaches an opportunity to defend themselves before a decision on their future is made, it is slowly becoming the norm as weird as it may be to some.
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