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Why is President Uhuru snubbing sports officials?

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Questions are being asked whether President Uhuru is really keen on sorting problems and the rot bedeviling our sports or just publicity stunts to woo more youth voters.

This follows the President’s recent meeting with Gor Mahia players after the team successfully defended its league title. During the meeting, Gor officials, except the Chairman, were snubbed by the Head of State who instead opted to meet the playing unit.

This is not the first time the President is snubbing football officials. Last December, after Harambee Stars won the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup, the team was invited to State House, but only the players got an audience with the President.

Probably what leaves a bad taste in the mouth of the officials is how the President expects to improve sports in the country by ignoring them. Admittedly though, football management in Kenya is still wanting and the teams are not being managed professionally.

“It is very unfair for the President to only meet the players, yet we are the ones who shoulder most of their problems during the season,” said an official who sought anonymity.

“We have been with the players from January to December and know all their problems, and we go out of our way to resolve them. We feel this treatment by the President was unfair and disrespectful,” he added.

This cold treatment comes even as the President appeals to the players to set a good example for the youth. Speaking to the players during the meeting, the President said: “You are role models to the young people of this country, and I want us to work together in this, and see how we are going to positively impact their lives and bring our people back together. People in sports, particularly you, are best-placed to play that role.”

Gor Mahia, who were recently declared KPL champions after winning the league a record 14 times, visited State House for the first time in 1987 after becoming the first team from East Africa to win the Mandela Cup.

The November 14 Gor meeting with the President was an anticlimax for a majority of club officials who were barred from meeting the President. The Gor entourage comprised seven K’Ogalo officials, a few players and of course some hangers-on who had a 9am appointment at State House.

It was however not until a two-hour wait that State House Spokesman Manoah Esipisu came to the Ball Room where the group of players, technical bench, club officials, Football Kenya Federation chairman Sam Nyamweya and his deputy had been ushered and curtly informed the delegation that the President would only see the playing unit and Gor Chairman, Ambrose Rachier.

“The President was very specific and we were told he only wanted to talk to the players, technical bench and the chairman,” a Gor Mahia player who sought anonymity told The Nairobian.

“Even the FKF chairman, who had accompanied us, was locked out of the meeting, as were some club officials.

We had a casual chat with the President, who congratulated us for winning the league before presenting us with a Sh1 million token of appreciation and warned the officials not to take the money. He promised to give the club a further Sh2 million,” added the player.

The President through his Facebook account had said: “I am really keen to see that the sports lottery is established as soon as possible. This will promote our young people’s budding talents in sports. My Government will do everything to promote soccer in the country...”

It also emerged that the President offered ardent Gor fan Jared Otieno aka Jaro Soja a job at the Sports Stadia Management Board (SSMB), an offer that was later reported to have been declined by Soja. However, he has since dismissed allegations that he turned down the President’s offer.

Team captain Jerim Onyango said, “The best part is that he promised to help us secure sponsorship for the forthcoming season when the chairman brought up the matter. I have no doubt that he will deliver because he is a man of his words,” said Onyango.

Although Gor’s Assistant Secretary General Ronald Ngala was surprised by Uhuru’s refusal to meet them, he says they left State House happy after the President promised to help them secure sponsorship and fight hooliganism.

“I actually don’t know why the President met the players in private, but since we were just invited guests, we couldn’t question that.

We had been told that we would meet him and lined up twice before we were informed that he only wanted to talk to the players and the chairman.

 As you are aware, State House is a busy place, and we are honoured to have shook hands and taken photos with the President.

“Yes, Gor has had financial problems this season and it was in order to ask for a few things. We presented him with the need for sponsorship and tackling the issue of hooliganism, and he promised to look into them.

He rewarded the players with Sh1 million and the club with Sh2 million to help us prepare for the CAF Champions League.”

Asked which support they will get from the government during their continental fixtures next year, Ngala said: “We had met the sports CS Hassan Wario earlier, and he promised that the ministry could assist by paying for air tickets.”

But from what is happening during State House visits, is the president sending a tacit message that officials should keep off whenever their teams are invited to the House on the Hill for good performance?

 

 

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