A fan was caught on video stepping on the Kenyan flag after Mogadishu City vs Kenya Police match, sparking nationwide outrage.
Sometimes football rivalries spill beyond the pitch and Saturday's CAF Champions League preliminary clash between Kenya Police FC and Mogadishu City Club proved just that.
The match, played at Nyayo Stadium, ended in a thrilling 3-1 victory for Police FC, giving the Kenyan side a strong start in the first preliminary round.
The win had fans in high spirits, with Kenyans and Somalis filling the stands, waving flags and chanting for their favorite teams.
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But after the match, the celebration turned sour as videos began circulating online showing a group of youth allegedly mocking the Kenyan flag.
One clip captured a Mogadishu City Club fan placing the Kenyan flag on a chair before repeatedly stepping on it as others filmed.
In another video, two boys were seen throwing the flag on the ground and stepping on it, with one of them going as far as rubbing it on his groin.
"This is bad manners and disrespect to our nation. Mogadishu FC fans not only fought in Nyayo Stadium but they had the guts to snatch a Kenyan flag and throw it on the ground," wrote X user Wanjiru as first quoted by The Star.
Sports journalist Tony Kwalanda echoed the outrage, saying: "The flag of Kenya is being mocked, shredded, misused and abused by Mogadishu FC fans at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi. When did we get here?"
The videos sparked widespread condemnation on social media, with many Kenyans demanding that authorities take swift action.
Some users called for the banning of Mogadishu City Club from playing in Kenya until the behavior of their supporters is addressed.
Wanjiru went as far as suggesting: "Mogadishu City Club should be banned from playing in Kenya until some discipline is instilled in their fanbase."
Mohamed Wehliye, MBS, voiced his anger online, writing: "These stupid kids should be traced, arrested and be made to wash Nyayo & Kasarani. Wanafaa pia kuchapwa viboko! Morons."
Kenya's Interior PS Raymond Omollo chose to focus on the positives of the day, congratulating Police FC for their emphatic victory: "Congratulations to Police F.C. for their 3-1 victory over Mogadishu City Club in the CAF Champions League preliminaries at Nyayo Stadium. This decisive win marks a brighter beginning for the team as they step confidently into continental football."
Legal experts were quick to remind the public that Kenya's National Flag, Emblems and Names Act (Cap. 99) criminalizes any act that "insults, mutilates or shows disrespect" to the flag.
Offenders can face a fine not exceeding Sh5,000, six months in jail, or both.
The two teams will face off again this Sunday at Nyayo National Stadium, with attention now focused not just on the action on the pitch but also on fan behavior in the stands.