This archive report was first published on 3 September 2019.
McDonald Mariga, a 32-year-old former Kenya international midfielder, has bid farewell to a glittering 16-year football career to pursue a career in politics.
Mariga presented himself at the Jubilee Party headquarters in Nairobi on Monday for a vetting process, marking the beginning of his journey into active politics.
He has set his sights on contesting the Kibra constituency by-election in November, a move that has been met with excitement from his supporters.
Mariga's supporters, dressed in red t-shirts with his name and jersey number 17, waved placards and sang songs in his praise as he arrived at the party headquarters in a cream suit and white shirt.
When asked about his candidature, Mariga said, 'I am not being used by anyone, I made this decision with my family, so here I am. Let's see how it goes.'
Mariga, the son of retired coach and administrator Noah Wanyama, is considered one of the best footballers of his generation, having won several titles with Inter Milan in 2010, including the Uefa Champions League, Serie A, and Coppa Italia.
However, his football career was cut short by a crucial ligament injury he sustained while playing for Parma in Italy in 2012, which he never fully recovered from.
Mariga's football journey began when he caught the eye of European scouts while representing Kamukunji High School in his teenage years.
He went on to play for several clubs, including Kenya Breweries, Kenya Pipeline, Enokpings, Helsinborgs, Parma, Latina, Real Sociedad, and Real Oviedo, before joining Inter Milan in 2007.
Mariga's decision to leave football for politics has been met with mixed reactions, with some critics saying he never quite managed to transfer his club form while on national team duty and failed to help Harambee Stars qualify for any major tournament.
