Skip to main content

WHY KENYA NEEDS A NEW INTERNATIONAL STADIUM FAST

Kenya has made itself a footballing laughing stock. We were all shocked when Confederation of African Football (CAF) banned Kasarani Stadium late last year from hosting international games as the stadium "lacked several Caf criteria and requirements in order to properly host international senior competitions.." Before we even recorvered from the shock, FIFA followed suit and banned the country - for different reasons - from participating in any international games. It must have come as a shock to many, but we should have seen all these coming. Kenyan football has flirted with danger for so long. 

Kenya's football administration is a joke. Our elite, top tier league is non-televised, and until recently, lacked a sponsor. Think about that for a second. Think about it again. Nigerian Premier League, South African Premier Soccar Legue, Ethiopinan League and even Zmbian Premier Legue is beamed all over the continent. Even the third tier league in England is broadcasted all over the world yet The Kenyan "Premier" League cannot be shown even in our own country! What are these guys smoking? This is no small matter! Football cannnot attract corporate funding if it's not broadcasted. Enterprises put money into the game because of the advertisement they get. Without corporate sponsorship, the game has suffered and taken a huge step backwards. Our footballing talent is not exposed to international markets, clubs struggle to stay afloat and have resorted to terminating players' contracts just to make ends meet. At the core of all these is lack of braodcasting.

Lack of sporting facilities further exercerbates the problem. As we speak, Kenya has not even one stadium fit to host international football games. This is a big insult to the country that boasts the biggest economy in East and Central African Region. Tanzania completed the construction of the 60,000 seater Benjamin Mkapa stadium in 2007. Rwanda is constructing stadiums for fun. Cameroon built a new 60,000 seater capacity Olembe Stadium for AFCON 2021 and refurbished about 4 others for the tournament. Nigeria recently comissioned a 61,000 seater Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja. Kenya's economy is far much better than most of these countries yet we, on the other hand, have constructed 9 "cowshed-style stadiums" across the country with corrugated ironsheets and steel beems, non of which is fit to host even local league games. 

Now, the 35 year old stadium we were counting on has been banned and we're acting surprised. Kenyans should demand a stadium. We should not allow ourselves to be the only country in Africa without a CAF accredited facility fit to host international football games!


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

20 LINGALA WORDS YOU SHOULD KNOW THEIR MEANINGS

Over the last couple of years the Lingala language has gained and continues to gain unprecedented popularity in Kenya . Many Kenyans now can speak fluent Lingala. Some even sing in the langauge! I'm talking about Papa Fololo, Igwe Prezda Bandasson, Awilo Mike of Jamnazi Africa, Fofona Bangali and myself, just to name but a few. Part of the reason for this popularity is: Lingala is easy to learn (For Lingala-Swahili similarities, click here ). I mean, it is ridiculously easy. So easy, in fact, it takes just a few months. Forget about the Lingala you hear in songs that's bedeviled with iterations of Lingalized French (Hahah, what does that even mean?). I'm talking about Lingala in its purest form here, the one not polluted with foreign languages. Well, before I bore you to death with detail, I'm happy to present you here with 20 popular lingala words and phrases I thought you could be interested in knowing their meaning. Let's get right into it, shall we? 1. Bolingo...

10 LUO WORDS YOU SHOULD KNOW THEIR MEANING

 Luo language is a group of closely related languages spoken by River-Lake Nilotes, who trace their origin in the area we today call Republic of South Sudan. The language calls itself "Dholuo" or "Lep Luo" in other dialects and is spoken by the Acholi of Uganda, Luo of Kenya, Jopadhola, Lango, Alur among other tribes. I have painstakingly compiled a list of some Luo words which I think you've most probably come across and would like to know what they mean. Let's get right into it, shall we? 1. Hera - Hera means love. It is both a noun and a verb. It is the first Luo word that anybody interested in learning the language usually encounters. From album titles, song titles to subtitles, it pervades everything. Hera remo, hera mwandu, hera bungu, hera mudho and hera apilo are all music titles by various luo artistes. Hero remo translates to love is blood (the word "is" or its Luo equivalent "en" remarkably doesn't have to be used often...

5 POPULAR LINGALA PHRASES EVERY RUMBA LOVER MUST KNOW

Lingala is probably the fastest growing indigenous African language largely due to Congolese music (Rumba, soukous, chatchto and the like). Some of the greatest composers and singers in Africa have sung in this language producing some renown hit songs that have dominated the African airwaves for decades while introducing some endearing phrases and catchphrases that never just never fade from our collective memory. Lingala is reputed as Africa's most romantic language and it has surely lived up to this reputation. Lingala phrases are a pure joy to listen to, especially when you understand them. Some of these phrases are priceless pieces of wisdom while some overflow with sardonic humor and wit. But one thing is for sure, these phrases are simply unforgettable, for one reason or another. Maybe it's because we tend to be fascinated with exotic languages and ideas. Or maybe, the Congolese people are just damn good at composing music. Either way, their singing, their music and mann...