Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Hussein Mohammed (Centre) addresses a press conference alongside Vice-President McDonald Mariga (left) and CHAN Local Organising Committee (LOC) chairman Nicholas at Nyayo National stadium on March 25, 2025.
After much uncertainty it is now confirmed that this season’s 'Mashemeji' derbies will be held this Sunday and the next Sunday at Nyayo National Stadium.
The 2024 Chan and 2027 Afcon Local Organising Committee chairman Nicholas Musonye however Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards that they would be banned from using the facility for the next three years should their fans cause trouble and damage property during this fixture.
AFC Leopards will host Gor Mahia in their Football Kenya Federation Premier League first leg match on Sunday with Gor Mahia returning the favour seven days later.
Musonye, an experienced football administrator, during a press conference yesterday, warned Ingwe and K’Ogalo fans their clubs would be banned from Nyayo should they damage any property until the end of the 2027 African Cup of Nations that Kenya will jointly host with Uganda and Tanzania.
Nyayo and Moi International Sports Centre have been undergoing renovations for months in readiness for the delayed Chan in August. After the back-to-back Mashemeji derbies Nyayo will be closed again for renovations to be completed.
“If a seat is destroyed here at Nyayo those two teams will not play here again. We want to preserve Nyayo and Kasarani for Chan and if stones are thrown around, those two teams will not be allowed to play here,” said Musonye.
He has every reason to be jittery as the history of the two sets of fans is rife with violence and wanton destruction of stadium facilities. In fact the last Mashemeji derby held at Nyayo Stadium is a perfect case in point.
In that fixture held on April 28 last year with maximum attendance, chaos erupted, starting with opposing club stewards exchanging fisticuffs, and fans joining in the melee forcing anti-riot police to lob tear gas canisters in the air to disperse them.
Fans destroyed a polycarbonate canopy at the players’ tunnel, uprooted seats, corner flags, taps and gate valves and smashed the VIP main door. Advertising banners were not spared.
Sports Kenya fined the home team AFC Leopards Sh500,000 for damages while Gor Mahia incurred a Sh126,000 penalty.
One incident of infamy occurred on October 26, 2014, when Gor Mahia hosted Sofapaka at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos.
Gor fans annoyed after their team went two goals behind damaged the metal benches of the stadium and smashed windows of surrounding buildings.
An incensed Machakos Governor then, Alfred Mutua, banned Gor from using Kenyatta Stadium and fined them Sh10 million.
The club refused to pay the fine as some of their fans cheekily said Mutua had no authority to sanction them.
On November 12, 2023, fans attributed to Gor Mahia vandalized Kasarani property, destroying seats and electric facilities during their league match against Muranga Seal.
K’Ogalo fans were seemingly irked by the celebrations of Muranga Seal fans. Then Sports Kenya Director Pius Metto banned Gor from using the facility and slapped on them a fine of Sh1.9 million to cater for the damages.
Just this months Leopards were expelled from MozzartBet Cup after their fans stormed Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Kisumu in the 89th minute disrupting their Round of 32 fixture against Mara Sugar following the referee’s decision to overturn a penalty award.
In all these cases, and many more, no arrests or prosecutions have taken place.
