Kenya Football .:. Story - Professionalizing The Kenyan League

Professionalizing the Kenyan League - kenyafootball.com image

By Bernard Makumi

I want to take this opportunity to thank super sport for their four year contract deal with the Kenya Premier League (KPL) Ltd.

I think for the first time in Kenya football there is hope of the game going professional. Kenya players will be marketed abroad since KPL league games will aired across Africa and thus more players will be noticed by scouts to join the paid ranks in Europe and else where.

This deal will force Kenyan clubs (Bravo yes Kenyan's football chiefs need to be forced) to be managed professionally. According to my understanding through this website (Keep up the good work Kenyafootball.com) clubs will be required to produce contracts for their players and coaches.

This is particularly exciting to me because in Kenya its club officials who benefit more than players but contracts will show in black and white what each player will be earning prevent corrupt official from taking advantage of poor players. The formation of a website for the league will also offer another channel to market our players.

I feel every club should have its own website with club history, and player statistic profiles with photos again for accurate information storage and player marketing. Since SuperSport will be providing financial help, clubs will be forced to abide by these rules.

There will be no time for people who have in the past used Kenyan soccer for other personal ambitions, such as politics, as their nonsense will not be tolerated. The problem with African soccer in general and Kenya in particular is that in Africa we see soccer as a source of fun but not as a business as in Europe.

Soccer is not just a welfare activity as is the attitude in Kenya (most Kenyan clubs are not companies but welfare clubs and those sponsored by companies are listed in the category of welfare departments during allocation annual budgets instead of as independent entities capable of generating their own revenues thus at the end of a season they are seen as liabilities to their respective sponsors, that is why companies such as Mumias, Nzoia ,Utalii disbanded their teams)but an industry that employees people.

As the player start making decent living out of soccer then it then it will be now sensible to start soccer academies to groom players for the professional league and for sale in Europe. The government should invest in this economic goldmine called soccer by reestablishing the now defunct soccer academies started in 1974 Olympic youth centers at least one in each province.

The government withdrew sponsorship from this centers in 1979 but this is where players such as Mulamba, Ayoyi, Mohan, Ogola, Abbas, Murila, Dick Ayanga, Sammy Onyango , Henry Mote go , JJ Masiga, Abbas Magongo, Abdalla Shebe, George Onyango, Nahashon Mahila, Hussein Kheri, Bassanga came from.

Individuals who are investors and all Kpl should be encouraged to start soccer Academies. The other fact that was really good with the SuperSport contract is the fact that every year an indecent team of auditors will be auditing the money given to the clubs therefore bringing transparency. This will greatly reduce the misappropriation of funds as well as hopeful bring projection to any corrupt soccer officials found guilty.

This I feel is a new dawn for Kenyan soccer .Everything starts with baby steps and progresses or grows and I feel this is what is happening to Kenyan soccer and all of the Kenya soccer family should be happy as now there is light at the end of the soccer tunnel.

Editors Note: The website that will provide information on the Kenyan league will be under a different domain and not Kenyafootball.com. Thanks though for the compliments.