It is sad that 50 years after independence we are still talking about the same issues facing football in Kenya. There is nothing to celebrate and we still live in the dark ages.

Writing for the Daily Nation Mr. Moses Ojunga said that our football management only attract the worst among us, just as the pit latrine attracts metallic green coated flies. The Kenya Forum agrees with him.

CECAFA CHALLENGE… AND UNPAID BILLS

It is very embarrassing that as we celebrate 50 years of independence as a country, a small tournament such as Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup is still a challenge for Kenya to host despite the fact that Kenya won the Cup.

Teams that participated in the tournament found themselves ‘prisoned’ in the hotels because of unpaid bills. Even two executive members of the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup organizing committee were detained for more than seven hours in the hotel they were staying at in Nakuru for the same reasons.

WE NEVER LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES

In 1996, Kenya bid for and was given the chance to host the African Cup of Nations only to lose out to South Africa (who had to come to the rescue) due to poor preparations which almost sabotaged the tournament that year. As Mr. Ojunga put it, “we learnt nothing from that infamy”. One would expect Kenya, who can boast of being more economically developed more than many African countries, not to have such problems. Not in the 21^st Century.

BIG LIE

“Kenya is planning a bid for the 2019 Africa Cup Nations but, before that, we shall place a bid for the continental Under-17 championship, this coming from the experience we have had from hosting Cecafa championships”, Sam Nyamweya, FKF boss said in a press release on December 13^th.

There is a problem with this statement. How is it possible to ‘prepare’ to make a bid for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations when the deadline was on November 25^th 2013? Isn’t Nyamweya aware of that or is he just taking us for a ride? What experience really does uncle Sam talk about when the organization of the Cecafa tournament as Nation Media’s Steve Omondi put it, “was by far the most shambolic in the event’s long history.”

THIS SUMS IT UP

Much has been said about the condition of the management of football in this country. Promises have been made but from the events at the Cecafa championship, it pretty much sums up where we’re at where football is concerned. Until a major transformation occurs in our football management willingly, we shall be on the same spot in 2063.