Popularising soccer in Kenya’s South Rift

About 1,500 youths from Bureti constituency kept away from alcohol and drug abuse during the festive month of December. They did so in order to focus on developing their football skills during Chamgaa’s Welfare Sports Festival. The festival’s founder, Robert Mutai, narrates its history and impact.

In 2012, I and two of my childhood friends, Vincent Mutai - a Moi University law don and Geoffrey Malakwen of Magadi Soda - sat down and brainstormed on ways to give back to our society. We agreed to contribute Sh120,000 in order to sponsor a soccer tournament.

We decided to begin with the soccer tournament as a way to expose youth to other sporting opportunities apart from the traditional athletics which is glorified among members of the Kalenjin community.

We started with four teams drawn from Cheplanget ward in Bureti constituency and the tournament has since grown in leaps and bounds and now draws tens of teams from across the constituency.

As a motivation to entice the youths to discover their talents, we award Sh30,000 to the wining team, Sh25,000 to second placed team, Sh15,000 and Sh10,000 to the third and fourth placed teams respectively.

As the tournament becomes more competitive, the quality of football being played has greatly improved and it is only a matter of time before football stars start emerging from the south rift region.

We are happy to note that besides bringing youth together to hone their soccer skills, they are also using the opportunity to network and exchange business ideas.

For instance, Sebetet Football Club, which won a cash price of Sh25,000 in the 2013 soccer tournament, used the money to construct a greenhouse where they grow tomatoes and vegetables for sale in the local markets. The group has since managed to multiply the amount they won to Sh100,000.

We are motivated by the groups which have invested the sports festival prices and we intend to rope in financial advisers who can come and give sound investment advice and ideas to the youth groups.