Kenyan referee Aden Marwa who was dropped from the list of those officiating the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia has been banned for life from all football activities.

The decision was arrived at by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) disciplinary committee following a bribery scandal that saw him lose the chance of becoming the first Kenyan to officiate World Cup match.

The verdict read in part that “The following decisions were taken by the CAF Disciplinary Board regarding the referees involved: Mr. Marwa Rage, assistant referee (Kenya); life ban from all CAF related football activities”.

Marwa was filmed by an investigative journalist receiving a bribe of 600 US Dollars (an equivalent of about 60000) in Morocco during the 2018  Championship of African Nations (CHAN).

He was among 63 officials chosen to officiate the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Russia, assignment that would have earned him close to 2.5 Million shillings.

He was also among those selected to officiate the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. However, he was not assigned any match during the event and was set to make his debut in Russia.

Ten other referees who were also caught up in the bribery scandal received disciplinary measures ranging from between 2 to 10 years.

11 others were suspended pending a final decision to be made on 05 August when they appear before the CAF disciplinary board.

News of his involvement in the bribery scandal was received with sadness across the country with his family maintaining that the referee who is a teacher by profession was innocent.