Kalonzo Musyoka should make Ukambani soccer great again

Kalonzo Musyoka was among the leaders that graced the Kasarani Stadium when Harambee Stars took on Ethiopia [Courtesy]

Kenyans were surprised when they saw former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka celebrating Harambee Stars win over Ethiopia at Kasarani Stadium last week.

Kalonzo has rarely been associated with any sport in his over 38 years in politics. But let us start with a time capsule back in 1980. At the time, German tactician Bernard Zgoll had just left Kenya after establishing the Olympic Youth Centres in Mombasa, Kisii, Nakuru, Kisumu and Nairobi. But Kenya was in limbo. The local football federation had no capacity to nurture what the German had incubated. We were busy trying out local coaches in vain when an unknown man with a strange name and bushy beard came calling: Marshall Mulwa.

His name betrayed him as haters associated him with Ukambani. The sceptics, mostly Luos, Coastals and Luhyas, thought Kenyan soccer was gifted to them by God. They went hysterical about the choice of Mulwa as coach. Nobody took them seriously. Mulwa took over, assembled ‘Zgoll Mboys’ and got down to work.

Mulwa’s charges went down as some of the most memorable footballers of their generation: Ambrose Ayoyi, Wilberforce Mulamba, Bobby Ogolla, Mohammud Abbass, Josephat Murila, Jack Shihul, Washington Muhanji, Jared Ingutia, Sammy Taabu, Dino Kitavi, Douglas Mutua, Nahashon Mahila, Issa Salim, Peter ‘Bassanga’ Otieno, James ‘Jacaranda’ Ouma, Hussein Kheri, JJ Masiga and Elly Adero.

The ‘Zgoll Mboys’ shortly became ‘Mulwa Mboys’.

They won the regional CECAFA trophy in 1981. But Kenyans are still dismissive. They did it again back-to-back in 1982 and 1983. They won it for keeps. Then ‘they’ started frustrating Mulwa the Kenyan way — starving him of cash to run his programmes. He gave up and relocates to the Middle East and went off radar, leaving a rich legacy for Ukambani.

Unknown to many from Lower Eastern, he put two names on the Kenyan soccer map; Dino Kitavi and Douglas Mutua who become household names. Kitavi had been introduced to the big league by Gor Mahia when they included him in their trip to Mali to play against FC Djoliba in 1980. Alongside Enoch Obwaka, Kitavi established himself in Mali.

Kalonzo can revive Ukambani football [Courtesy]

Mulwa had done what the Waswahili say ‘Tenda wema nenda zako’. He came, saw and conquered our hearts. He also put Ukambani on the Kenyan soccer map.

Fast forward to 1986.

A young man living in Jericho Lumumba in Nairobi’s Eastlands has the ambition to become Kenya’s top goalkeeper. Though not very talented soccer-wise, the lad has the drive and passion. Fortunately, he has a mentor, the late Otti Father who pushes him to the limit.

The young man joins Kenya Breweries (today Tusker FC) but still, he’s unable to make it to the First Eleven. He is benched by one Joseph Kibera. Not to be discouraged, he soldiers on. He retires before making it big in Kenyan soccer. Without any other skill to survive on, his ‘mtaa instinct’ pushes him to pursue a soccer-related path. He commits his life, passion, energy and drive to football.

He becomes a soccer coach. Out of the blue, and like Marshall Mulwa, he is appointed coach of Harambee Stars. The usual sceptics ask yet again; from where and which tribe is he? Ukambani!

That man was Ghost Mulee. He introduces Dennis Oliech to the national team. He registers Michael Olunga in his unknown, Liberty Soccer Academy. Olunga is undoubtedly Kenya’s best striker at the moment. Those who went to Kasarani last weekend saw a well ‘engineered goal’ from him.

SuperSport comes to Kenya and they are looking for TV pundits to drive their Kenyan soccer programmes. They are looking for a candidate who understands our football, speaks our soccer language and can resonate with our soccer fans. At the same time, a local FM station is looking for someone who can feel the pulse of Eastlanders or Kenya’s low and middle class. They fall on the same person with a funny nickname ‘Ghost’, Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulei, the man who took Kenya to the last Africa Cup of Nations in 2004 in Tunisia.

Before Governor Wycliffe Oparanya thought about modernizing Bukhungu Stadium there was Dr Alfred Mutua, Governor of Machakos County. He modernized the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos and helped put that town on the Kenyan soccer map. League matches and several international football and rugby matches shifted to ‘Masaku.’

Machakos was the place to be over the weekends and some clubs led by Sofapaka FC adopted the facility as their home ground.

When players were looking for ways to promote their welfare and protect their interests, they formed a union by the name Kenya Footballers Welfare Association. They gave it to Innocent Mutiso to set the foundation and drive their objectives. Do we remember Jacob Keli, who scored 17 goals to become Kenya’s top scorer in 2013? Where from, which tribe?

Kenyans never believed when Bob Munro started Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) in 1987 and the Mathare United FC in 1994 to help boys from Mathare slums. Its products include Maurice Wambua and Francis Kimanzi. The former was in the famous  Reinhard Fabisch team of 1997 and the latter is their current coach.

As we are on the verge of qualifying for another AFCON our Football Kenya Federation (FKF) chair is Nick Mwendwa who was seen shouting himself hoarse at Kasarani when Harambee Stars beat Ethiopia. He was surrounded not by Raila Odinga, George Aladwa, Deputy President William Ruto, Senator Kipchumba Murkomen and one other VIP: Kalonzo Musyoka.

Does Kalonzo Musyoka know the role played by his kinsmen in promoting Kenyan soccer? Is he aware that his backyard, despite its great contribution, has no soccer academy or soccer team to play in their great stadium in Machakos?

Did anyone at Kasarani remind him that our soccer always had its resurgence when someone from his backyard was at the helm? Why is Kalonzo always missing in action?