By John Aggrey

Like him or hate him, Evan Kidero is a man of many worlds. He’s cut a niche for himself as one of the best CEO’s in the region a no mean feat by any standards. If he’s not handling cane farmers’ issues, he’s at the Harambee stars Board sorting players’ allowances and if he’s not at home with his family, then probably he’s doing duty for his Company’s sponsored club AFC Leopards. Away from that, a few quarters believe he is eyeing the governor’s seat for Nairobi County in the coming election; something I really don’t wasn’t to dwell on at the present.

His passion for the beautiful game started a long way ago and his commitment to its success at any level has won my admiration and that of many other Kenyans. AFC Leopards, the club his company Mumias Sugar sponsors posted some pretty good results during last season’s second leg of the premier leagues, a fact some INGWE insiders point to his shrewd leadership. He has since proven critics wrong by being able to convince his Company to hold on to sponsoring INGWE amidst all the drama that surrounds the politics of the club. This almost paid dividends, and when AFC ended the league in a respectable 5th position, he made his wish known to the players directly. He needs the trophy Tusker is currently holding and nothing less than that.

Never seen a person loved by both the opponents in the game of football, he stands out to as one of these few characters this country possesses. He might be the face of the sweet deal behind the MUMIAS SUGAR logo you see on the AFC jerseys, but on the other hand he’s got a soft spot for other teams too. Thanks to him, Gor Mahia players can now each go shopping when they land in Mozambique as they seek to lift the country’s flag high in continental action. A while back, apart from awarding AFC for beating Gor Mahia, he also awarded Gor Mahia when they beat AFC in last year’s FKL semi-finals. Why a team like Gor Mahia when every football fan in this country knows the animosity between the two clubs? It’s so simple, he might be going against several factors including, his tribal inclination and professionalism, but he’s doing great to improve the standards of the game.

The Harambee Stars Management board has really kept quiet for some time now even as Nyamweya appointed Kimanzi to be the new coach of the national team riding on his past performance as coach of the national team. He together with the Mr Nyamweya made sure all accrued allowances inherited from the previous football administration were paid to the players, a vice that has dragged the game behind in recent times.

Away from club football and national duties, he has been instrumental in the nurturing and development of young talent.  He recently sponsored the annual Koth Biro tournament alongside the Nairobi mayor George Aladwa something several critics seem to politically view. Politics or no politics, it would be sad if he entered football just to gain the political fame, but so far, I’m impressed by his commitment.

So much is still left to be seen on how he’ll carry himself both on and off the football scene. I wish he just stays a little while; he’s helped clean up the mess at the helm of our football albeit for the moment and should he go, he still shall have left a legacy, that of sportsmanship, excellence and loyalty. Loyalty when the country needed him, loyalty when the whole world seemed to have written off Kenya’s football. He’s been a good example, an example of hope, hope even in the worst of times. Let’s build on this hope and this example.

A true gem in Kenyan Football that beats all the known logics and best delivers the true nature of patriotism and nationality.

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