The end of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Women’s Premier League season brought out the poor organisation and reward scheme of the game.

An occasion that was supposed to be characterised by fanfare ended in an anti-climax when Thika Queens, this year’s champions, were awarded a contemptible Sh350,000 as prize money with runners-up Gaspo Women receiving only Sh150,000.

There was public outcry over the amount set aside for the winners of the women’s top-tier league, once again exposing the dark underbelly that is the management of Kenyan football.

FKF President Nick Mwendwa is on record saying the federation had committed Sh10 million to the Women’s Premier League.

This begs the question; where is the money that was promised, or how was it used?

But last week, FKF Media Liaison officer Ken Okaka, in a response to People Sport, said the issue of committing Sh10 million to the league or awarding league winners Sh1 million was never discussed.

Be that as it may, it is time FKF management acknowledged the gravity of its responsibility and work towards delivering results, instead of constantly being on the defensive.  

This is no longer a game of egos but one of identifying and nurturing talent and sustaining livelihoods. 

The cost of maintaining a team during the pandemic is high, and players need to be motivated through reasonable earning.

Indeed, there are many talented female footballers who have been forced to quit the game because it is just untenable to pursue it as a profession. 

The FKF Women’s Premier League may still be an amateur competition but when will we see it run professionally? 

Some may argue that it’s the responsibility of the clubs worldwide to look for sponsors and become self-sustaining, but what about the league? Who is responsible for running the league? Clubs or FKF? 

WPL clubs, to their credit, ensured they honoured all their home and away matches with only the burden of paying referees left to the federation. 

Even more shocking is that Thika’s Mwanahalima Adam, a Harambee Starlets striker, won the Golden Boot and emerged the league’s Most Valuable Player but nothing came of it in terms of a reward for her exploits. How hard, we ask, is it to organise an individual award?

Instead of going on the defensive, FKF should admit the injustice committed against women footballers and seek amends. They should also work hard and find credible sponsors for the league.