The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has been forced to respond to reports that the Kenyan boys' and girls' U15 teams were left stranded in Uganda following the African Schools Football Championship.
In a statement released on Thursday evening, December 11, the FKF dismissed allegations that the team had been left without accommodation, stating that they had a detailed account of what had happened the previous day.
According to the FKF, the teams checked out of their accommodation as planned, but experienced a delay to their transport to the airport. This disrupted their schedule.
Due to strict rules restricting junior teams from travelling at night, and owing to the schedule disruption, the team could not proceed with the late departure.
In a bid to comply with the Ministry of Education safety guidelines on safety and night travel of students, the teams were forced to remain at the host school overnight instead of travelling after dark.
FKF clarified that despite the delay, at no point were the teenagers stranded without assistance.
"CECAFA and St. Mary's Kitende ensured that the teams were fully supported throughout this period. CECAFA has since informed CAF of the situation and confirmed that the welfare, comfort, and safety of the Kenyan delegation were prioritised while on site. The teams are now en route back to Kenya," a statement from FKF said.
The federation also confirmed that the team's logistics have since been straightened out, and they are en route back to the country at the time of publication of this article.
"FKF acknowledges the logistical, administrative, and operational challenges experienced during this assignment and is reviewing internal processes and capacities to strengthen coordination for future engagements. We sincerely appreciate the support of CECAFA and our hosts and remain committed to providing safe, well-organised environments for all our youth teams," the statement added.
The teams were in Uganda for the CECAFA-CAF African Schools Championship, a regional tournament bringing together top U15 school teams across East and Central Africa.
This year's event featured competitive fixtures, training camps, mentorship sessions and CAF-driven youth development programs meant to identify talent for future elite pathways.
