"Leave my ball- Obingo, Nyamweya and Hatimy"

 My dreams of playing for Gor Mahia FC crushed in high school. I had cut my teeth at Railways Youth FC in Nakuru with the likes of John Mo' and Ramathan Balala.  I hoped to emulate Mike Otieno and Tom Odhiambo who I watched play for Musingu High School and later joined Gor. I did not meet the cut but I tend to lie that I chose to pursue books because footballers did poorly in academics. However this has never dampened my love for the beautiful game.

My love affair with football began as an eight year old back in 1987. One evening my headboy at Musingu Primary School took me to watch the All African Games finals between Kenya and Egypt. The following year I followed the African Cup of Nations in Morroco with glee. Since I knew football, Obingo and Sam Nyamweya have been associated with Kenyan football.  I do not have anything to say about Hatimy because I believe he lacks a football bone in his body. Just leave my ball alone.

Please Obingo, Sam Nyamweya and Mohammed Hatimy, with all due respect withdraw your candidature for the Football Association elections set for this month. Former president Moi said that there was no one in his cabinet able to succeed him; he did not know that he was announcing his failure to the world. A leader’s success is in raising other leaders and for this Mr. Nyamweya you score an ‘F’ for failed. I humbly ask you to let your biological or adopted children vie on your behalf. What you could do, you did let others also do their bit, leave my ball alone.

Moses accepted that Joshua was the chosen of God to lead Israel into the Promised Land. He had walked with Joshua through his leadership and the young man did not disappoint his mentor. Where are your Joshua’s? Leave my ball alone.

 In Numbers 27:15-20 below (NIV) Moses delegates his power to Joshua an act that did not diminish his worth to date. Let go, leave my dear ball.

¹⁵ Moses said to the LORD, ¹⁶ “May the LORD, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community ¹⁷ to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the LORD’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.” 

 ¹⁸ So the LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership,^[a] and lay your hand on him. ¹⁹ Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. ²⁰ Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. 

kenyatta otieno © since 1978.