The Mombasa County Government has paid Sh 14 million in registration and affiliation fees for 155 regional football teams affiliated to the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and Mombasa County Football Association (MCFA) branches.
Governor Abdulswamad Sharif Nassir described the move as a deliberate effort to use sports as a tool for youth development and crime reduction in the Coastal city.
The payment, covering 77 FKF-affiliated teams and 78 MCFA teams, was accompanied by a raft of pledges on stadium construction, ground rehabilitation, youth employment, coaching certification, and health insurance for players across the region.
Speaking during the ceremony at Swahili Pot, Nassir said the initiative goes beyond football, with plans already underway to extend similar support to basketball, volleyball, and hockey associations in the county.
“We are making arrangements so that other sports can also benefit. We will try to find ways to help everyone,” he said.
The Governor announced that a groundbreaking ceremony for the long-awaited Mwahima Stadium will be held this week, with a contractor already having been issued a letter of award, adding that construction of another ground in the Ziwani area is progressing, with the long-standing flooding problem in the area having been resolved.
Regarding the Mombasa Municipal Stadium, Nassir said the County Government has formally handed over responsibilities to the National Government, with the County having settled its share of the outstanding debt.
He also disclosed that negotiations with the Kenya Ports Authority were at an advanced stage for the handover of the KPA ground to the County for public use.
“We have agreed with KPA that they will hand over that ground so that our youth can play. We currently do not have enough grounds,” he said.
The Governor further announced plans to partner with KPA to rehabilitate all community grounds in all six sub-counties, with funds already set aside for maintenance.
Nassir also said that youth excelling in county sports programmes will be considered for employment at the Port of Mombasa and within the county government.
He directed the FKF and MCFA leadership to develop a transparent and fair youth selection strategy, warning against favouritism in the identification of players for employment and advancement opportunities.
“I want a strategy. I do not want to later hear that someone was favoured. Let there be fairness for all our youth,” he said.
He also committed to purchasing buses for football teams in the upcoming budget, directing officials to develop a management framework to ensure the vehicles remain operational.
He called on the Department of Education to formally recognise coaching as a vocational skill and FKF to introduce licensing courses from Level C to Level A in Mombasa, noting that the County currently has only one UEFA A-licensed coach.
In addition, the governor directed that any registered player seeking treatment at a Level 4 or Level 5 county facility will have their SHA charges covered by the County Government, removing the financial barrier that has long kept athletes from accessing quality healthcare.
Mombasa United President and Old Town MCA Abdirahman Hussein, whose club currently leads the National Super League, welcomed the interventions but called on the Governor to ensure the Municipal Stadium is matches-ready should the club earn promotion to the Premier League.
“We are spending a lot of money hiring private grounds. Every constituency needs a FIFA-standard field,” he said.
Shanzu Ward MCA Maimuna Salimu linked the sports investment to measurable social outcomes in her ward, saying incidents of crime, early pregnancy, and school truancy had visibly declined among youth actively involved in sports programmes.
“Sports are medicine for our youth. The governor has touched the right place,” she said.
Likoni Ward Representative Athman Mwawiri noted that the removal of the affiliation fee burden was the single biggest barrier that had kept many grassroots teams from participating in organised football, urging all 160 registered teams and the many more yet to affiliate to take full advantage of the County’s support.
By Ramadhan Nassib
