The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has addressed an incident where four Kenyan players had their passports retained at the Italian Embassy.
FKF in an update on Friday, August 16 revealed that the four players had their passports retained at the Italian Embassy after using a forged FKF letter head and the FKF CEO’s signature to apply for visas.
The players are Ronney Onyango of Gor Mahia, Ben Stanley, Musa Masika and Sharif Majabe.
“Four players namely Ben Stanley, Ronney Onyango, Musa Masika and Shariff Majabe used a forged federation letter head and the FKF CEO’s signature to apply for Visas at the Italian Embassy,” said FKF.
“As a result, the said players’ passports have been retained at the Embassy.”
FKF said that preliminary investigations indicate that a former player currently residing abroad and a National Super League (NSL) club official and/or their agents are behind the forged FKF documentation and the Visa applications.
FKF issues update on players who allegedly used forged letters
The Federation added that it continues to engage the Italian Embassy, with a view of having the retained passports released back to the four players.
Also Read: FKF Makes Appeal to Kenyans After National Team Captain Goes Missing
FKF also revealed that it has formally initiated internal disciplinary proceedings against the individuals believed to have forged the FKF documents used in the Visa application and highlighted that it will not be making further statements on the issue, until the matter is resolved.
The statement came hours after Gor Mahia defender Rooney Onyango failed to travel to Juba with the rest of the team for the first leg of the Caf Champions League preliminary round against El Merreikh Bentiu of South Sudan on Sunday.
At the time, sources within the club disclosed that Onyango, whose name was conspicuously missing in the travelling squad, had an issue with his passport.
Rooney is said to be grounded in Kenyan borders till the passport issue is sorted.
Also Read: Rooney Onyango- From Growing Up in Makongeni to Scoring for Harambee Stars
The utility man, who can play at right back and midfield, was part of Harambee Stars and Gor Mahia squad last season.
Onyango was also the captain of the Harambee Stars Under-23 side that played in the Cosafa tournament in South Africa from June 26 to July 7 this year.
Rooney Onyango fails to travel
The promising defender’s unexpected omission from the travelling squad had raised eyebrows and sparked widespread speculation with the latest reports suggesting that Onyango is on the verge of a move to an Italian club.
Sources close to the club reveal that the transfer has been in the works for some time but complications regarding the player’s visa application have slowed down the process.
Should the transfer materialize, Onyango would join a growing list of Kenyan players making a name for themselves abroad.
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