Owalo continues tracksuits donation drive

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By Oliver Ochieng 

Former Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Information, Communications, Technology (ICT) and the Digital Economy Eliud Owalo was in Bungoma County on Monday, for another tracksuit’s donation exercise.

The former minister, through his Eliud Owalo Foundation donated 30 tracksuits to Nzoia Sugar FC, as the team prepares for the 2024/2025 National Super League (NSL) action.

The sugar millers were relegated from the top tier – Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League at the end of last season, after seven seasons in the top flight league. 

“Nzoia Sugar FC has produced very many players of international repute. I remember sometime back, Gor Mahia got two very good players from here; Kevin Juma and Boniface Omondi,” Owalo said while addressing players and members of the management.

"Nzoia Sugar FC has not only been a feeder club to Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards but also to the rest of the teams. So, we really don’t want this team to go down,” he added.

If the team goes down, Owalo said, the opportunity to identify and nurture talent will be sent down the drain. 

In the 80’s, Owalo recalled, Kanduyi Stadium where Nzoia Sugar FC hosted home matches before moving to Sudi Stadium, “used to be a slaughtering ground for both Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards,” as the two-soccer powerhouses could hardly get a point.

He was accompanied by former Kenyan soccer internationals Leonard Khayota, Austin Oduor, Aggrey Lukoye, Peter Dawo, Dan Musuku and George Onyango among others.

Dawo urged Nzoia Sugar FC players to always play with passion as they used to do, instead of being money oriented. 

“While playing for the national team those days, we used to be paid Sh50 per day. Today, players are paid Sh5,000 per day and still claim it is little,” said Dawo whose trademark as a player was scoring headers. 

As last season drew to a close and knowing that it was inevitable for his team to get relegated, Nzoia Sugar club chairman Yappets Mokua said they will do all that is humanly to be back in the FKF-PL after one season in the NSL.

"If we secure sponsorship worth 10 million shillings or more, then I can guarantee that we will be promoted next season. We are knocking on the doors of potential sponsors and hopefully we will strike a deal with one before the start of next season. The plan is to play in the second tier for a single season,” he said, then.

On Friday last week, Owalo donated another set of 30 tracksuits to FKF PL side, Kakamega Homeboyz.