Amidst the unease of returning peace after the 2007 post-election dispute that culminated in the 2008 National Accord, one public event caught the attention of many.
It was on March 9, 2008 when the 40th Kenyan Golf Open was coming to an end and the then Prime Minister designate Raila Odinga joined his protagonist at the 2007 General Election President Mwai Kibaki on a walkabout on the golf course and at the awards ceremony.
It was a sports event like no other due to the political temperatures but Raila Odinga used the occasion to cool down the volatile situation with a witty speech that was immediately hailed by many as being statesmanlike.
President Mwai Kibaki, ODM leader Raila Odinga, Musalia Mudavadi and Kenya Golf Union Chairman Richard Kemoli (left) during the finals of the Kenya Open Golf Championships at the Karen Country Club in 2008.
“Football is a game played by gentlemen and watched by hooligans; rugby is a game played by hooligans and watched by gentlemen; but golf is a game played by gentlemen and watched by gentlemen”, Odinga said, probably paraphrasing a quote sometimes attributed to Oscar Wilde.
It wasn’t accidental that three sports disciplines were mentioned by Baba in that very moment. He was a man who appreciated, followed and supported sports.
The main sport he had serious dalliance with was football from which legend has it that he was involved not from the periphery but from the playing field itself in the colours of Luo Union FC. When he was a Member of Parliament, he also rolled back the years by playing for Bunge FC.
Members of Parliament Raila Odinga and James Orengo after a training session with the Parliamentary football team, Bunge FC, at Nyayo National Stadium.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
It is said, especially of athletes, that it is the shoe wearer who knows where the shoe pinches and so it was natural that Raila Odinga, who had been involved in a sport from close range, would be involved in other spheres of it such as governance, resource mobilization and attendance.
As an illustration, on July 6, 1994, Raila Odinga as the then MP for Lang’ata, asked Question Number 437 to the Minister for Lands and Settlement to confirm or deny if the Government had repossessed the land granted to Gor Mahia FC in Kasarani.
The pursuit of assetization of sports teams remains a holy grail that should be maintained across all sports organizations.
When performance was seemingly low in his beloved sport, football, Raila Odinga also sought answers. On October 23, 1996, he brought to the attention of the Minister of Culture and Sports Nyiva Mwendwa the fact that football is one of the richest sports in the world.
“There should be no reason why Kenyan sports, especially football, should be an exception,” he remarked.
Raila Odinga plays golf at Nyeri Golf Club in memory of the late President Mwai Kibaki in 2022.
Photo credit: Pool
Sports in the county is fan based because it needs support of the public to grow. This was also something that the Prime Minister emphasized not just in words but also in actions.
On November 3, 2010 he stated in Parliament: “It is a pity that every weekend, Kenyan youth and people spend more time watching the English Premier League of the United Kingdom… and yet know nothing about Ulinzi, Sofapaka, Mahakama, AFC or Gor Mahia”.
In actions, Raila Odinga supported his beloved Gor Mahia and the national football teams by turning up at the stadium and lending his cheering voice to the teams. He also attended several athletics and rugby events.
