Former Harambee Stars player Sammy ‘Kempes’ Owino has set up his intentions to compete for the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) national chairman’s post come election time.
Owino, who has been living in the USA for more than four decades, while meeting delegates from 11 counties of Rift Valley in Eldoret, said that Kenya has enough talents but lack of proper governance and corruption has killed the spirit of the talents.
The former Gor Mahia and Re-Union player said that corruption remains the core problem unlike in his other life in the USA where he founded his football academy.
“We are here meeting soccer representatives to work towards the interest of soccer in this country. My intention is to be involved in running of football in this country, where we need change in football progress,” said Kempes.
He said that it is very unfortunate that there is no money to pay teams and teams despite winning the Kenya Premier league and other leagues due to poor management.
“Corruption is a big issue just as a problem in the society and sports culture. Our problem is that there is no money but lack of proper management of recourse.
“We have a problem but the mother source is corruption then bad governance. We lack good structures to run the sport. Poor governance and corruption, once we deal with them, then we are good. We need to bring in good people who have football at heart,” he said.
On women’s football, he said that they are equally important in the sport where they have to deal with many challenges unlike men.
“Imagine with very few resources we have, women soccer has been doing very well. We need to support them equally,” he added.
With women’s soccer in his agenda, it was pleasing to Charity Wang’oma who is involved in running soccer women in the country.
“On top of his agenda is women’s football and grass-root football which is dear to my heart. There is no work at the premier league level but at the grass-root where we nurture our talents,” she said.
Sammy Sholei echoed his voice saying that everybody wants change and that is what he has been pushing for the longest time possible.
“We pushed him (Owino) to come over and help in getting football in this country the right way because he has lived in the correct form in the USA and I had to drop back and help my elder brother to push the agenda,” said Sholei.
“I may also be corrupt because I have been brought up in such a culture. So taking advantage of Owino staying in the USA for so many is bringing a lot of quality in what we want to do. Everyone wants to eat and take something home but once you get the money make the right choices,” he said.