Today, Tuesday July 5,2016 marks 47 years since assassin’s bullet robbed Kenya, Africa and the entire world of a great son Tom Joseph Mboya at a tender age of 38.
To many he was a trade unionist per excellence, a politician, a great orator, a freedom fighter, a visionary whose many works including the famous airlifts for bright African students abroad for further studies changed the world.
If not for him granting a study opportunity for Mr. Obama Sr in America the world may not have had a great leader in Obama Jr, the current President of the most powerful country USA.
The many national institutions he helped founded including; Kenya Institute of Management (KIM), Central Organisation for Trade Unions (COTU), National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) among others are still solid.
An ardent football lover, Tom always found time to enjoy the beautiful game despite his countless engagements as a government minister. One of his greatest legacies in the industry is the reigning Kenyan Premier League champions Gor Mahia FC, a team he was at the heart of it’s formation, a year before his cruel death.
Mboya loved playing football
Like many community clubs around the world, K’Ogalo as Gor is fondly reffered to traces it’s roots from the Luo Community in the western part of the Kenya and was named after a mysterious and powerful traditional medicine man “Gor” the son of Ogalo; “Mahia” means mystery.
The initial idea behind it’s formation in February
1968, was to bring together two clubs; Luo Sports Club, then supported by Mboya and Luo Union under another prominent Luo politician and the father of opposition politics in Kenya Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.
The intense political rivalry around the two clubs then, threatened to tare a part the community and hence the need for a unifying Club, an idea Mboya championed; the rest they say is history.
K’Ogalo has since grown beyond it’s roots and assumed a national face despite keeping it’s traditions.
The club remains the only continental cup holder in this region after their 1987 Africa conquest in the CAF Winners Cup.
Since it’s maiden league glory in 1968 the team has gone ahead to win 14 more; won Kenya Cup 10 times and KPL Top 8 twice plus other numerous titles, making them most decorated club in the country.
After every victory in Nairobi, the loyal K’Ogalo followers congregate within the city centre, specifically around Tom Mboya statue situated along Moi Avenue where he met his untimely death to honor his legacy and thank him for every conquest.
The club may have stagnated at some point and missed a glorious opportunity to go toe to toe with peers like Esperance of Tunisia, El Merreikh of Sudan…but the club is making positive strides towards catching up.
Tom like many forgotten greats in Africa has not been celebrated like he should have, K’Ogalo have failed to mark this day before, but the current Chairman Mr. Ambrose Rachier has promised to raise it as an agenda at the clubs executive meeting tomorrow.
“It’s unfortunate we have not marked the day before as a club, but I remember the fateful afternoon vividly. I was in form 5 at Alliance High when the news hit the nation that sunny afternoon; we poured onto the streets led by Senator James Orengo to demonstrate against the criminal act,” Rachier narrated.
“We have kept in touch with the family and I hope in future, the day will be part of our calender. I will raise the matter tomorrow during our meeting, so that we can see how Tom can be honoured during our next game.”
@bonfaceosano
