Harambee Starlets striker Essy Mbeyu Akida is riding high as a professional player in Israel, but back home in Kilifi, there is no stadium to boast of for the nearly 18 years she has been an active footballer.
A graduate of the famous Moving The Goalpost (MTG) football programme, which empowers the youth in Kilifi, Akida is no doubt one of the most polished women football players in Kenya today.
However, she is not happy that despite Kilifi being a tourist town, leaders have not taken advantage of the high income in the sector to put up a decent football stadium to help tap talent in the county.
Akida, a former St John’s Kaleleni Girls High School star, started her football career in Kilifi aged seven. She is among several budding talents who are suffering in silence because of failure by the county government to put up a stadium.
Former Harambee Stars goalkeeper Mohamed Magogo is also a Kilifi native. He is unhappy that the football grounds in Kilifi are poorer than they were in yester years. He said other counties have made an effort to refurbish or reconstruct their stadiums.
“Football pitches in Kilifi are not up to standard. The youth should be supported and encouraged to take up sports, which have become a major source of income. People are minting millions from sports,” said Magogo.
“Other counties are investing in sports. They have good playing fields for their youth but here in Kilifi, there is no sign that anything will come up in form of a stadium soon,” he said when he hosted at least 30 teams from Kilfi for a two-day football tournament at the Karisa Maitha grounds last month.
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ULINZI STARS
The legend squarely blames the county government of Kilifi, which he accused of failing to support sports among youth.
Football Kenya Federation Kilifi branch Secretary General William Nzaro says they have been unable to host Kenyan Premier League teams due to lack of a stadium.
“No big team wants to play in Kilifi because we do not have a standard pitch,” said Nzaro.
He said football players in Kilifi lack exposure and they are losing opportunities to show their talent which could land them an opportunity to play in the KPL or abroad.
Nzaro says at times they are forced to hire stadiums outside the county which is expensive, or ask permission from Pwani University management to use their field.
“Pwani University supports us, but at times we interfere with students who are supposed to use the field. Football fans do not have freedom to attend matches because of the strict security at the institution,” he said.
“In May, we hosted Ulinzi Stars for a friendly at Pwani University, but Bandari and Gor declined saying the safety of their players comes first.
