In search of good news, Kenyans declare Arsenal's EPL victory as their very own

Kenyans throng the Nairobi CBD to celebrate the English Premier League champions, Arsenal FC, on May 28, 2026. [File, Standard]]

I fully associate with the sentiments of throngs of Kenyans who painted the town red last Sunday to celebrate the English Premier League champions, Arsenal FC, or Asenali as it’s known here.

Incidentally, there were no reported injuries, despite the thousands in the streets, which says a lot about policing and who keeps peace or breaches it.

Perhaps that’s the very thing Kenyans wanted to celebrate, to get some reprieve from the takataka that politicians have turned our lives into.

We’re always fending off something other. If it’s not the grabbing of a forest, or a protest over fuel hikes, or the outrage over incendiary remarks from politicians who have gone completely nuts, we’re mourning the teens smouldered in their dorms. There is simply no reprieve for our people.

Which is why the “Asenali” parade was such a welcome break. For a moment, Kenyans revelled in the English side’s triumph that epitomised their resilience and focus to a shared goal. It had taken them 22 years to lift the trophy again, and there was joy that the anxious wait was finally over.

And since I always support the winning team, I am not likely to place or lose a bet, or lose a goodnight’s sleep. After all, it’s only a game.

I don’t know why we don’t extend similar attitudes to politics. After all, it’s just a contest, not a matter of life and death. But perhaps it is, for those who want to mortgage our nation to foreign masters, or tenderprenuers who want to make instant riches.