This archive report was first published on 9 September 2019.
It's a new season for Kenyan football, and while there are still challenges to overcome, there are reasons to be optimistic. The league has finally switched to the international calendar, allowing for a more regular and predictable schedule.
This change has brought an end to the exhausting and confusing schedule that had players playing multiple games in a short span of time. The 'impossible' has happened, and we must applaud this achievement, even if there isn't much to give a standing ovation to in our current state.
The transfer window was also observed and closed in a rational manner, with the amounts of money changing hands for players not being a major issue. This is a long journey, but it begins with a single step, and if we continue on this path, we may earn some respect as a league and improve Kenyan football in the end.
Another positive development is the resolution of the taxman issue with the league sponsors. While we don't know the details of how it was resolved, we do know that sports may yet get a smoothening. We wish the sponsors would take up their responsibilities and support sports, rather than shirking away from them.
There are talented young players out there who only require a little sponsorship to bloom into the international scene. It's the responsibility of patronage to augment the purse and give them the support they need.
As we welcome the new season, let's support our local football first before we go wow about the foreign ones. There's a lot of work to be done, but with a positive attitude and a willingness to improve, we can make progress and take Kenyan football to the next level.
