What it is like being Jaro Soja’s second in command

Jura at their Kayole home in Nairobi during the interview. [James Wanzala, Standard]

It’s about 4.30pm when I am welcomed at their one-bedroomed house in Nairobi’s Kayole estate, near Stage 20 in Kioi area. The house is all green and white right from the walls, carpet, utensils, shoes, doors, curtain, sofa sets to the TV stand.

Welcome to Emmer Owaga Jura’s house. You might find her choice of colours or decor strange but the wife of Gor Mahia’s number one fan Jared Obonyo alias Jaro Soja has opened up to Metropolitan on what her life is like.

Their 48-inch flat screen TV has been plastered at the edges with white tape. Walls displays pictures of Jaro and his wife and other Gor fans and kin. It is a family that is completely loyal to the club.

Unfortunately, Jaro was away during the interview.

“I am 26 years old and a real Gor fan. I was born in Ndhiwa Constituency, Homa Bay County in Mirogi village. I met Jaro at Nyayo National Stadium in March 2014 when Gor Mahia was playing Esperance Sportive de Tunis from Tunisia,” Jura reveals.

At half-time, she went to buy a packet of yoghurt and on her way back, she met Jaro on the staircase and he asked for her mobile phone number.

“I asked him why my number. He smiled and just said he wanted to get to know me better. After sometime, I agreed and since the second half was about to start, we parted ways and he promised to call and talk more,” the customer care attendant at Meridian Medical Centre at Capital Centre says with a smile. That evening at about 7.30pm, Jaro called and he did not mince his words. He asked her out on a date and what a better way than no take a trip with her to Nakuru to watch a Gor game?

She agreed to a date but was hesitant to travel to Nakuru as she was not used to travelling outside Nairobi to watch games due to her work schedule.

“I told him I would think about it but later agreed to travel to Nakuru. Unfortunately, we were beaten by Ulinzi and came home so  depressed,” she recalls Jura.

Straightforward man

But the loss did not dampen their vision as their friendship grew and in June last year, they got married in a traditional ceremony in her Ndhiwa Constituency home.

So why did she fall in love with Jaro?

“I loved him because he is a straightforward man. He loves football like I do, so we are compatible. We can sit down and chat about past and upcoming matches and he loves his family. He could tell me about it and his siblings,” says Jura, a second-born in a family of five.

Jura says Jaro’s ‘celebrity’ status has not affected her marriage because she trusts him.

“Due to his status, it’s normal to be hit on by girls including Gor divas, who are a group of female Gor Mahia club real supporters that he cheers the game with most of the time. But one thing I like about him is that he tells them he is married when they do and thus can’t cheat on me,” explains Jura, with a wide smile punctuated by a gap on her upper teeth.

Jaro Soja and his wife Emmer Owaga at their rural home in Gem, Siaya County.

She says his public-figure status keeps him in check.

When K’Ogalo loses, Jaro, as one would expect, is the hardest hit.

On days when her team is playing, she says she doesn’t go with Jaro but alone, or with her sister-in-law or female friends. This is because Jaro leaves very early unlike her, who has to do some house chores.

So how was she introduced to football?

“A friend of mine called Quinter Ahoya introduced me to it. I initially used to watch the English Premier League, but not the local one. She had some friends who would travel from Mombasa or Kisumu to watch the games in Nairobi,” she says.

One day she was invited to watch a game. Since she did not have the right sportswear, her friend offered to buy her the gear at a nearby supermarket, then they proceeded to the stadium.

“It was fun, I enjoyed the game and company and since that day, I have become a real supporter of Gor Mahia. I only miss games that take place when I am at work. I’m a bigger fan than her now,” says Jura.

Interestingly, she says as much as she likes Gor Mahia, which has green and white as their brand colours, she doesn’t like the colour as much as she likes blue, a colour associated with the club’s arch-rivals, AFC Leopards.

Today, she has three jerseys and shirts, one green coat, two pairs of green and white shoes and other accessories that she wears on match days.

Blue sandals

There have been conflicts including one day when she bought blue sandals and found Jaro had thrown them into the dustbin. She had to take them back to the house after washing them but on condition that she would not put them where he could see them.

“I have accepted him and learned to live with him despite all these intrigues because I love him,” says Jura, who describes herself as an introvert and extrovert at the same time.

Jura regrets that SuperSport terminated their contract with the Kenyan Premier League and hopes that a local media house can take advantage of this and air local football matches.

“Many people now do not go to watch the games unlike previously. You have to go to the ground to watch a game and sometimes the match is played far away from town, locking out many Kenyans who are now burdened with the high cost of living,” she laments.

“Earlier, those who had no time to go and watch the game live in the stadium could watch it on Dstv, but not any more,” she adds.

Many now rely on social media updates, which are sometimes misleading,” says Jura.

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