Ndolo urges East Africans to pool resources and bid to host 2030 World Cup

By Omulo Okoth

As the controversy over the hosting rights of 2018 and 2022 Fifa World Cup settles, a Kenyan personality plans to stir another hornets’ nest.

This time, it is about pooling resources by the East African nations to host the 2030 World Cup.

Reuben Ndolo, former MP for Makadara, and well-known sports personality, has floated an idea that will raise the stakes of hosting the world’s most followed sports competition.

While addressing participants at the Athi Water Services Football tournament at Canon Apollo Primary School in Mbotela on Monday, Ndolo urged East African regional leaders to pull resources and bid to host the 2030 World Cup.

"Multinational companies are willing to come on board and realise this dream for the East African people. Kenya should spearhead this initiative because that will be dovetail with the Vision 2030," said Ndolo.

"Leaders like (Rwanda President) Paul Kagame, Mwai Kibaki and Yoweri Museveni, who are known sports fans can take advantage of this opportunity to showcase East Africa. This is because going it alone as a country can be very expensive, but a joint initiative can work," said Ndolo.

Russia and Qatar will host the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals, following controversial decisions that has left the global football governing body with body blows.

South Africa hosted the 2010 finals, the first time it came to Africa. Bidding for 2026 finals have not started, although the Iberian joint bid by Portugal and Spain, who failed in its bid for 2018 finals indicated they would go for it.

He said Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi can jointly bid for the World Cup, it can be realised.

Important circle

"Kenya will have completed a very important circle of modernizing infrastructure around the country, the target of Vision 2030, which plans to have modern stadia in all the eight provinces. The other East African nations are also developing their own infrastructrure. Fifa has completed a modern stadium in Dar es salaam and Rwanda is doing very well in this area," said Ndolo.

"International companies like LG, Coca-Cola and Kenya Airways are willing to come on board. Even companies with regional presence like Nakumatt and banks can be brought on board. This will bring economic boom to our region, which will have a spiraling effect on all aspects of life in the region besides working to seal the regional economic integration," he said.