Former Gor Mahia star to seek top FKL post

According to a story posted in the Standard newspaper, former Gor Mahia striker, Doctor William Obwaka will vie for the top post when FKL elections are called next month. Obwaka has been appointed to carry the mantle for former players, who want to get into management of the sport. Obwaka, a gynecologist announced his intention at a press conference convened by a caucus of former players, who want to bring fresh blood into the sport. In his acceptance speech Obwaka asked the sports Ministry to ensure clubs vote directly during the national elections and lock out delegates he claimed have always been manipulated. “We are demanding for a level playing field during the electoral process. In the past, delegates have been compromised to vote a certain way.” “It is for this reason that we are urging Fifa and the Government to ensure that clubs vote directly during the national  elections” he said. Obwaka has also urged the Kenya Anti-Corruption commission to ensure that the electoral process is done in a transparent and open manner.

This is indeed good news for the Kenya Football fraternity. For years, yours truly has been hoping that Kenya football could be run by a former player who understands what it takes to make Kenya a football power because he himself was once on the playing field. A former player who has the cerebral capacity to come up with fresh ideas that can work in this country. In fact yours truly has always mentioned Obwaka along with other wel educated former players like Joe Masiga, Dan Shikanda and Nahashon Oluoch. I have known Mr. Obwaka for a while as we both hail from the Musanda area and I can attest to the fact that he is passionate about bringing about the much needed changes that will bring sanity to Kenya football.

In the 1980s, Athletics Kenya was run by a corrupt group of individuals, none of whom were former athletes and were mostly concerned with pocketing the winnings of track athletes which at the time were meagre. In those days, it was AK that took the money won by runners and disbursed it as they saw fit. The entry of Mike Boit, a former runner into the Kenya sports council brought an end to this insanity. Today AK is one of the few sports organizations in Kenya that is not porrly run.

For the past 12 years or so, ever since the Maina Kariuki era Kenya football  has been run into the ground by officials who are mostly interested in grabbing money as was the case with Kariuki, are lazy or lethargic as was the case with Alfred Sambu or are flat out incompetent as is the case with our current bunch, Hatimy, Kasuve and Okul. It is high time that we had a competent committed person running the show. Someone who can bring back sponsors and bring the fans back to national team games. As you know, sponsors only want to associate with well run institutions that have public goodwill. Kenya has recently suffered humiliations at the hands of teams like Lesotho, Eritrea, Somalia and Guinea Bissau. The humiliations are set to continue due to incompetence at FKL which cannot even organize friendly matches during designated FIFA friendly days nor organize acclimitization sessions to prepare Kenya for away games.

In his playing days, Obwaka joined Kogalo in 1985. He gained instant fame when he scored twice to help Gor Mahia beat arch rivals AFC Leopards in the 1985 CECAFA cup finals. At the time, he was pursuing a medical degree at UoN. His elder brother, the late Enock Obwaka was also a Kogalo stalwart having played for the team in the early 80s. Enock later coached Shabana FC. Before leaving for the CECAFA cup , Kogalo players received boots from Re Union Chairman Wycliff Rading Omolo (3rd from left. Others in the pic are from left coach Len Julians, talking to Hezborn Omollo, sitting is Tirus Omondi, crouching is Austin “Makamu” Oduor, next to Rading is William Obwaka flanked by Chairman Zack Mbori, Manager Amos Nandi in a sharp suit and keeper David Ochieng joking

Commentary by Muroro-Pacho

Milimani-Strathmore

Additional reporting from Standard Media