Kenyan football fans ought to exhibit their best behaviour while attending league matches.

The vast local football terrain should leave no room for hoodlums who swarm the stands to stir up disorderly incidents and whip up uncalled-for emotions. 

Unfortunately, episodes of audience disturbance have increased in recent weeks, with unusual targets now including members of the technical bench.

Club supporters have suddenly opted to turn their guns on coaches to find a handy outlet for their rage about poor performance. If left unchecked, matters could spill out of control.

For instance, AFC Leopards supporters were seen throwing objects onto the field during the tense Mashemeji derby match at Moi Stadium, Kasarani, a fortnight ago, as soon as their team fell behind 2-0 and it became clear they were on the losing end.

It’s still unclear if the rowdy behaviour of the fans was intended to send a message to their troubled head coach Tom Juma, who has since been fired, or if they merely wanted the game to be disrupted and rescheduled.

In the same week, Tusker FC fans accosted veteran tactician Robert Matano demanding to know why the brewers were not performing well this season.

Enraged fans confronted the tactician as he exited the player entrance zone. They hurled all sorts of insults at him as he struggled to explain himself amid the ballooning chorus of discontent. The ugly incident followed Tusker’s shock 1-0 loss to KPL returnees Shabana at Moi Stadium, Kasarani. This was the Brewers’ second defeat of the season.

Only a week later, raucous Muhoroni Youth supporters attacked and injured KCB head coach Bernard Mwalala, leaving him writhing on the ground.

That came after Mwalala voiced his disapproval of dubious refereeing when the centre official gave Muhoroni Youth a set-piece in the waning moments of the game.

What perplexed the mind was how a supporter carrying a toddler on his shoulders was permitted to enter the pitch to attack the coach while law enforcers and stewards stood by and did nothing.

Such occurrences are not strictly confined to the top-flight stage. Gaffers guiding clubs in the lower leagues have not been spared the brunt of disgruntled fans either. It was only last Saturday when Bondo United FC fans roughed up St. Joseph’s Youth head coach during their Division One match.

It is high time for law enforcement to start stamping authority by cracking down on any inappropriate aggressive behaviour that could endanger the lives of players, officials, and fans. Over the years, fan attendance has plummeted, resulting in diminished gate collections.

The Mashemeji derby clash and the league encounter between AFC Leopards and Shabana showed that ardent efforts to draw audiences back to the stadiums are gradually bearing fruits.

Therefore, it would be disastrous to let crowd disturbances scare away spectators once again after all the painstaking efforts to entice them back to the stadium.

Additionally, adequate measures must be put in place to safeguard coaches and players from any risks perpetuated by disrespectful spectators who are known to launch projectiles into the playing field. To stop such behaviour, any of the offenders must be located, presented in court, and punished appropriately.