Ben Omuodo: A 20-year journey to the helm of KGU

Starting first as a junior golf convenor at his home club of Royal Nairobi Golf Club, six years after joining the club, Ben Omuodo, is finally taking over leadership of Kenya’s amateur golf body, the Kenya Golf Union (KGU) on Friday at Muthaiga Golf Club.

The 62-year-old Omuodo who is also a member of other clubs like Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club, Machakos Golf Club, and Nyanza Golf Club in Kisumu, is one of the officials who were nominated for the various positions in the Union unopposed during the nomination deadline on March 31.

Omuodo who has been serving as the vice chairman since May 2019, will officially take over the KGU chairmanship from Karen Country Club’s Anthony Murage. One of the “millennium’’ golfers, Omuodo started playing golf in the year 2000 thanks to NCBA chairman Isaac Awuondo who not only encouraged Omuodo to play golf but also gave him his first golf set.

“Awuondo has been my friend for a long time, so when he encouraged me to play golf, I did not hesitate, and I must thank him for introducing to the game that I have grown to love and appreciate it very much," says the in-coming KGU boss who served as junior convenor at Royal for two years in 2006 and 2007 before being elected as the club’s vice captain in 2008.

He became the full captain in 2009 and a director the following year, before becoming the vice chairman and chairman in 2011 and 2012. Because of his leadership quality, the club forwarded his name to the KGU for an executive committee member of the union, a position he served for two years before becoming the secretary in the 2017/2018 season.

He eventually became the vice chairman last year when Anthony Murage moved to the top to become the chairman. "We have had a close working relationship in the union and it is my prayer that, this kind of relationship will continue as we serve Kenyan golfers in the best possible way.’’

Besides the incoming chairman Omuodo, other officials who are unopposed in Friday’s election, are Peter Kiguru from Sigona who has moved from treasurer to Vice Chairman, and Njani Nderitu of VetLab who takes over from Kiguru as the new treasurer, having served as an executive committee member.

However, currently Secretary George Gathu Ndirangu from the Kenya Airforce Golf Club, will be battling it out with Thika Sports Club’s Ndiga Kithae who has been an executive committee member for a number of years. Ndirangu became secretary following the appointment of the then secretary Vincent Wang’ombe to the KGU as the General Manager of the Kenya Open Golf Limited.

Meanwhile also seeking to retain their executive committee positions will be Karugu Macharia (Windsor), Philip Ocholla (Muthaiga), Fr Peter Kimani Ruiru, David Ndungu (Limuru), and newcomers Martin Nyaga (Kiambu), Collins Were (Karen), Chris Muchugu (Njoro).

Only the current KGU executives and a few media personalities who will have confirmed before hand, will physically attend the meeting from 3pm. The rest of the club representatives will participate via video conferencing in the meeting which had earlier been scheduled for May 22 but was postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.