It’s Kenya’s football moment, but ‘Nation’ is shooting wide

The team’s glow has outshone the ethnic and political hostility that often dominates the public sphere, and united citizens into one cheering squad. This is the magic of sports. They have a way of igniting patriotism.

But football is not just a sport; it is a celebration of culture. When the national team wins, the entire country erupts in euphoria, collapsing all other divisive vibes and providing a strong uniting thread of a people bound by shared victory.

The songs, the flags, the painted faces, the street dances—these are not mere by-products of a game, but affirmations of national identity.

This is the story the media, and the Nation platforms in particular, should be telling—capturing the colour, the sounds, the moods and the meaning of this moment.

And while at it, the tournament offers a golden opportunity to help Kenyans know their footballers a little more intimately. Brief daily pen profiles of players—where they come from, their career journeys, their quirks and inspirations—would make the stars of the Harambee Stars even more relatable. The nation is hungry for heroes, and this is the time to introduce them.

For years, Kenyans have been reduced to spectators in football, watching with envy as other victorious teams were feted in their countries.

A chance for Harambee Stars to play in the championship was exciting enough. That they have beaten two football giants and past champions has taken the excitement to another level.

That is why the championship is the subject of conversation everywhere: on social media and in social gatherings. It has lifted the spirit of Kenyans. They are thronging the stadia to be part of this historic moment, or watching the matches on television.

Ahead of the tournament, the Nation platforms kept the government on its toes, highlighting the state of the sports facilities and urging it to meet the requirements for hosting the games. But they have not been as prolific when it came to covering the matches.

We have not seen the level of match analysis expected of a continental championship.

One would have expected the Nation to reflect the national mood and pride, and to rally the national team to take the cup. Take the Monitor in Uganda, which declared in a headline at the start of the championship: “Cranes must stand up”.

However, from the Nation publications, broadcast and digital platforms, one would be hard-pressed to believe that a tournament of such magnitude and historic significance is ongoing, and the national team is not just participating, but thriving.

After the Saturday Nation of August 2 announced the start of the championship with the headline “Football bonanza”, with six pages of stories, the rest of the coverage has been underwhelming, both in quantity and quality. The headlines are uninspiring, and the stories flat.

Often, the focus has been on anything but the game. When Harambee Stars won its opening match, NTV’s bulletin began with the story of motorists being inconvenienced by traffic jams around Kasarani, before bringing the report of the win.

This was blamed on a delay in processing the main story. Audiences expect news in the correct order, in time. They are not interested in the internal processes.

Much airtime and space has gone to covering related issues, such as the security breach at Kasarani stadium and the resultant fines and other measures taken against the football federation.

These are indeed important issues that must be highlighted. But they should not overshadow the football bonanza promised to fans at the opening of the games.

Ironically, a presenter on an NTV show blamed poor communication for the confusion witnessed at the Moi International Stadium, Kasarani. He thought the government should have done better by informing citizens about the match, including where and how to buy the tickets. Was this journalist hearing himself? Did he not see it as his and the media’s role to provide such information to the public?

The story of the prize money from President William Ruto is exciting. It is a major incentive to the team and must be highlighted. But is this the only reason for the exciting show of talent?

Readers and viewers expect more from the Nation platforms. They want to know each player’s story and what they bring to the pitch.

They want to know how the coach picked the winning team and what it has taken to get here. They want stories of how each match was played, with all the twists and turns. They want to be taken to the field and helped to relive the magical moments of each game.

It is not too much for audiences to expect pre- and post-match analysis of the matches and teams, and even predictions based on history and team strength.

When surprises occur, sports journalists should explain the reasons to the audiences—what went wrong or right? For the print and digital platforms, a daily display of photos that capture the action would add to the thrill of the tournament.

With the games being played in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, they present an opportunity for the Nation platforms to harness the media house’s regional presence by providing on-ground reporting from each of the three countries.

The Nation platforms have always excelled in sports coverage. It is not too late to redeem themselves and give their audiences a better experience with the remaining matches—one that not only reports the scores, but captures the culture, the pride, and the magic of Kenya’s proudest football moment.

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