The Forgotten titan: Why Talanta Stadium should Honour Kenneth Matiba

When the late Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga passed away last October, a well-intentioned proposal quickly surfaced: that the soon to-be-completed, ultra-modern Talanta Stadium in Nairobi be renamed Raila Odinga International Stadium. The suggestion was rooted in gratitude, in memory, and in the undeniable truth that Raila Odinga is one of Kenya’s most gallant freedom fighters. Few would contest that he deserves national recognition of the highest order. Yet history has a way of whispering uncomfortable reminders, and in this case, it urges us to pause. A promise made, a promise deferred During the funeral of the late Kenneth Stanley Njindo Matiba the man most closely associated with the courageous push for the restoration of multiparty democracy in 1990 a solemn commitment was made. Former President Uhuru Kenyatta publicly promised to sit down with Raila Odinga and agree on a meaningful way to honour Matiba’s immense contribution to Kenya. Sadly, that promise never materialised. Time has passed, but as the saying goes, better late than never. Ironically, it was Raila Odinga himself who, in his funeral tribute to Matiba, lamented that one area where justice had not been done to him was in sports. Matiba beyond politics Kenneth Matiba’s legacy stretches far beyond the political trenches. Long before he became a symbol of resistance and sacrifice, he was a passionate sports administrator and reformer. He served as Chairman of the Kenya Football Federation between 1974 and 1978, and later, in 1983, was appointed Minister for Culture and Social Services, then the docket overseeing sports. At the helm of KFF, Matiba pursued deep, structural reforms with characteristic courage and clarity of vision. His frustration, however, lay in the resistance to his boldest idea: professional football read more...