Coast-based Bandari transfer expenditure in the January window was the highest in the top flight league, according to figures released by the Kenya Premier League.
Twahhir Muhidin’s side, who finished a lowly 13th place last season, forked out a total of 750,000 to recruit Kenyan players. Much of the money went into bringing in former Sofapaka midfielder Anthony Kimani, who joined on a Sh350,000 fee and his new teammate at the Coast-based club David Kingatua, who was lured from Thika United for Sh300,000.
Tusker, according to the report on the KPL portal splashed out Sh710,000 on Kenyan players, the second highest of the latest transfer period, to bolster their squad.
A whopping half a million shillings convinced Humphrey Mieno to ditch AFC Leopards for the brewers, making him the most expensive signing for the second transfer window in a row.
“I left AFC (Leopards) because of money. We had not been paid for more than three months yet there are people who depend on me financially. During my time at Sofapaka, the same thing happened and there is no way I could have continued staying there,” he said on the leagues official site.
“I am used to criticism. I am sure the people who feel that I am being greedy are employed somewhere and if they would go for just month without salary, they would be the first to rush to the workers’ unions to demand their right,” added Mieno .
Champions Gor Mahia splashed out a total cost of Sh565,000 on home players. Michael Olunga’s move to Gor on loan from Liberty Academy cost Sh200,000, making it the fourth richest transfer of the latest market followed closely by Kenya international James Situma’s shift from AFC Leopards to Tusker at a cost of Sh150,000.
Ulinzi Stars closely follow with a transfer expenditure of Sh550,000 ahead of Chemelil Sugar (Sh240,000) and KCB (Sh210,000).
AFC Leopards, who spent a league high of Sh2,875,000 (this figure also incudes foreign players) on the two transfer periods last season, have been rather modest this time round with records submitted so far showing they have spent a paltry Sh60,000 only on Kenyan players.
The club did spend hefty fees to sign Karim Ndugwa from SC Villa (Uganda), Fredrick Ndaaka (Uganda Police) and Emmanuel Ngama (Uganda Revenue Authority). KPL will give figures of the foreign players’ transfers soon.
Martin Werunga, Ali Abondo (Gor), Erastus Mwaniki (Sofapaka) and John Ndirangu (Nakuru All Stars) have each commanded Sh100,000 in transfer value.
From the current records, which are not definitive, the 14 KPL clubs that survived last season spent a total of Sh3,975,000 in transfers for the period December 2014 to January 2015.