By Anderson Ojwang
For three decades, the late Raila Amolo Odinga reigned as the patron of the mighty Gor Mahia Football Club.
Raila jealously guarded the post and kept at bay any possible suitor to the throne. For Raila, Gor Mahia was the first and most important center of power.
To ensure his firm grip on the seat was not challenged, Raila’s deputy was the loyal and subservient former Homa Bay Governor, Mr. Cyprian Otieno Awiti.
Raila and Awiti formed a formidable partnership in the management of Gor Mahia and remained at the helm of the club for over 30 years.
Awiti gained popularity by virtue of his position in Gor Mahia, and this contributed to his victory as the first governor of Homa Bay County in 2013 and subsequent election in 2017.
Similarly, Raila drew his political backbone support from his boyhood club, and from the club, he received a near-fanatical following.
With the demise of Raila, a new order has been created with the elevation of Eliud Owalo as the substantive patron of the club.
Owalo, who unsuccessfully contested for the Kibra parliamentary seat and was the campaign manager for Raila Odinga’s presidential campaign in 2013, now finds himself in a new power matrix — the Gor Mahia constituency.
Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier, in a press release, said Owalo had been appointed as the substantive Gor Mahia patron.
He wrote, “Further to the press release dated 16th October 2015 by the club executive regarding the notification of assumption by the then club deputy patron, Eliud Owalo, as acting club patron, this is to formally notify the general public, the football fraternity in general, the Gor Mahia Football Club members in particular, and the Gor Mahia fans at large, that the club has confirmed the appointment of Mr. Eliud Owalo as the substantive club patron with effect from the first day of November 2025.”
In November 2023, Owalo, then ICT Cabinet Secretary, bought Gor Mahia Football Club a state-of-the-art bus valued at Sh 20 million.
“We would like to express our gratitude to Honorable Eliud Owalo and his associates for making the purchase of the club bus possible. The bus has been customized and has already been registered,” Rachier said then.
Owalo bought the club a new bus after the previous one was auctioned to offset dues owed to former player Wellington Ochieng.
To endear himself to the new constituency, Owalo has embarked on various strategic interventions to make the club viable and financially stable.
Recently, Owalo, through his foundation, donated 35 brand-new tracksuits to the Gor Mahia Youth and 30 tracksuits to the Queens.
Owalo has revealed that the record Kenyan Premier League champions have initiated talks with Kansai Plascon Kenya Limited, formerly known as Sadolin Paints, over a potential sponsorship deal for Gor Mahia Youth and Gor Mahia Queens.
Owalo reiterated his commitment to transforming the club’s financial model into a sustainable business structure.
He wrote on his Facebook page:
“IN PURSUIT OF SPONSORSHIP FOR GOR MAHIA FC
Held an inaugural meeting with the Management of Kansai Plascon Kenya Limited (Formerly Sadolin Paints).
We discussed possible sponsorship for Gor Mahia FC, Gor Mahia Youth FC, and Gor Mahia Queens.
The Plascon team was led by the Managing Director Mr. Kota Enami; Marketing Manager, East Africa, Mr. Kunal Biswas; and HR & Administration Manager Mr. Benard Ogango.
Private sector partnerships anchored on a re-engineered business model are the most feasible avenue for the sustainability of Kenya’s community-based soccer clubs.”
Amayo Ochieng, a Gor Mahia fan, said Owalo has inherited a powerful constituency that, if well utilized, will propel him to greater heights.
“Football and politics go hand in hand. Owalo needs to win the league and the continental cup. He will surely be a legend.
Owalo has good intentions for the team, and his commitment to spend his resources on the team will endear him to the fans,” he said.
Amayo said Owalo has what it takes to fit in Raila’s shoes after Jakom mentored and exposed him to the leadership role of the club.
“Owalo and Rachier’s combination will witness Gor Mahia develop a global business model like those in the professional leagues in Europe and other parts of the world,” he said.
