Former Mathare Youth goalkeeper accused of stealing, dies from mob justice

Former Mathare Youth Association trainee and New Mathare FC goalkeeper Eric Wafula has died from a lynching incident.

Wafula and an unidentified man who was later described as his friend by persons close to the incident, was lynched by members of the public for allegedly taking part in a phone snatching incident.

In an amateur video seen by Radio Generation Sport, Wafula and his accomplice were seen being attacked by a mob using crude weapons.

They died at the scene.

The bodies were taken to the Nairobi City Mortuary for processing.

His teammates referred to him by the nickname Jagoal (literal meaning: Goalkeeper).

He allegedly stopped playing football abruptly some years ago and had morphed into a life of crime, according to neighbours and close associates, with an incident in Kariobangi last year highlighting the issues at hand.

Wafula was saved from mob justice by Police once again last year after the incident in Kariobangi and had been ordered by authorities to relocate upcountry to avoid a life of crime.

"We are saddened by the passing of our former goalkeeper Eric Wafula. Shine on your way, Jagoal. Rest in Peace," read a statement from Mathare FC.

A police officer from John Saga Police Station disclosed that Wafula had been living on borrowed time and that the fame from his football career had saved him from mob justice on several occasions.

"The fame that came with his talent saved his life many times. All I can say is that he was a talented goalkeeper, and it is tragic that his life ended this way," the unnamed officer told Nation Africa.

With football not a full-time professional sport in Kenya and most players of the amateur type, incidents of this type are far from uncommon, especially in the informal settlements that house plenty of Nairobians looking for some headway in life.

According to the UN, more than half of Kenyans live on less than one dollar a day.