Kenya Police FC have agreed to release head coach Nicholas Muyoti and assistant coach John Baraza so they can pursue CAF A coaching qualifications. The club announced the decision on Wednesday, 21 October, two matches into the new SportPesa League season.
Both coaches hold CAF B licences and had asked for permission to enrol in CAF A coaching courses. According to the club, the pair joined Kenya Police with an understanding that they would be allowed to advance their qualifications when an opportunity came up. The club said it approved their requests and praised both men for their commitment and professionalism.
The announcement came shortly after a 1-1 draw with newly promoted Migori Youth and a 2-1 defeat to AFC Leopards on 20 October. That timing raised questions about whether those results had influenced the decision, but the club rejected the suggestion.
Club denies the coaches were sacked
Technical director Mbarak Bashatir told Citizen Digital that the departures were meant to support the coaches’ professional development, not to punish them for the team’s start to the season.
“It is not a matter of the team’s performance this season that has led to this decision,” Bashatir said. He noted that Muyoti had stayed in charge even after Kenya Police missed out on both the league title and the Mozzart Bet Cup last season.
Muyoti became head coach in January 2026 after first working as an assistant to Serbian coach Dusan Stojanovic. He led Kenya Police to third place in the 2025/26 league campaign and guided the side to the Mozzart Bet Cup final, where they lost 2-1 to Tusker FC. According to The Star, Baraza is a former Harambee Stars striker who won the Kenyan Premier League Golden Boot three times and previously held coaching roles at Sofapaka and Bandari.
CAF A requirement could affect top-flight clubs
Kenya Police also pointed to changing coaching requirements in Kenyan football and said that CAF A licences could soon become mandatory for head coaches in the Premier League.
Statements from the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) support that wider claim. In August, FKF Football Development Director Francis Kimanzi told Citizen Digital that the federation’s National Executive Committee had approved and ratified a policy to enforce CAF A requirements for top-flight head coaches. Kimanzi said the policy would include a grace period and a transition window, with the details set out in the competition rules. The exact implementation date has not been confirmed in the available public material.
The Football Kenya Federation had separately opened applications in June for a CAF A coaching course in Nairobi. Its official course notice set out the eligibility conditions, which included holding a valid CAF B licence for at least two years. Even so, there has been no independent confirmation that Muyoti or Baraza secured a place on a particular course.
Kenya Police yet to name a replacement
The club said it will share its plans for the technical bench in due course. Bashatir declined to confirm whether Kenya Police will hire a new head coach, which leaves open the possibility that someone already at the club could take charge in the interim.
It remains unclear whether the two departures are temporary or permanent in practice, and who will lead the team in their next match. Kenya Police are scheduled to face newly promoted Mombasa United at Mbaraki Sports Ground on Sunday, 25 October.
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