Presidential aspirant and former ICT Cabinet Secretary (CS) Eliud Owalo has proposed the establishment of pension and medical insurance schemes for retired sportsmen and women.
Owalo said the move was in response to the plight of the retired start, majority of whom are languishing in poverty despite their immense contribution to the country during their prime years.
Speaking during the memorial service of former Gor Mahia FC midfield legend Allan Thigo at Mama Grace Onyango Social Hall in Kisumu, Owalo said he would prioritise the reforms in the sports sector if elected president in 2027.
“As a country, we have been very harsh to our sportsmen and women. These are people who gave us joy during their heydays, but the day they retire or break their legs, we forget about them,” Owalo said.
“That is not what happens in other countries. Sports will be an integral cog of my agenda if I am elected president. One of the things I will do is establish and operationalise a medical scheme for retired sportsmen and women and institutionalise a pension scheme so that they can live with dignity beyond their playing days,” he added.
Owalo used the memorial service to celebrate Thigo as one of Kenya’s greatest footballers, describing him as a midfield genius whose contribution to the game deserved national recognition.
He said Thigo, who starred for both Gor Mahia FC and Harambee Stars, was among the finest midfielders Kenya has ever produced.
Owalo said Thigo scored 88 goals for Gor Mahia during his career, a feat he said was only surpassed by the late Samuel Jogoo, while his 86 appearances for Harambee Stars ranked him among Kenya’s most capped players.
He also praised Thigo’s contribution as a player-coach, noting that he helped Gor Mahia win the league title in 1976 before guiding the club to the finals of the African Cup Winners’ Cup in 1979.
“We are celebrating the life of a great man, a great footballer and a great Kenyan who should actually be honoured in the Hall of Fame among the greatest Kenyans of our lifetime,” he said.
Owalo further revealed that in 2023 he brought together retired Gor Mahia legends and supported them with Sh.1 million seed capital through a welfare sustainability initiative aimed at helping them undertake joint economic ventures.
He said the initiative was meant to encourage former players to pool resources and build sustainable livelihoods after retirement.
The former Cabinet Secretary expressed sadness that some of the football legends captured in a reunion photograph taken during the 2023 meeting have since died, among them Thigo, former chairman Austin Odour Makamu and Caesar Handa.
“That tells us one thing — life is short. None of us is immortal. We need to plan our lives while we still can,” he said.
He also urged current players to embrace discipline and prepare financially for life after football.
“People like Allan played for 13 years because of discipline. You cannot succeed in sports without discipline,” he said.
Owalo emotionally recounted his friendship with Thigo, saying the late football icon remained positive despite battling cancer.
“Even in sickness, Allan never complained. Every time I called him, he talked about farming, planting and harvesting. He never wanted to burden people with his problems,” he said.
Owalo proposed the establishment of an annual football tournament in Thigo’s honour to preserve his legacy and inspire future generations.
Family members and former teammates described Thigo as a humble, disciplined and gifted footballer whose impact extended beyond the pitch.
His daughter, Dr. Jane Thigo, said the family remained united in ensuring he received a dignified send-off despite the pain of losing him.
Dr. Thigo said his wish to be cremated within 72 hours after his death was the family’s biggest hurdle but his will had to be honored.
“We tried. When he wrote this will, he called his people from Miwani to ensure that it is executed. We are not happy because it is not in our culture, but we had to do it,” she said.
His son Ogallo Thigo described the late footballer’s talent as unique and irreplaceable, while his daughter Nereah Atieno Thigo said his name opened many doors for the family.
His eldest son, Phillip Omondi, said Thigo sacrificed greatly for football and deeply valued education despite spending long periods away from home because of the sport.
“All his six children from the first marriage were born in his absentia because he was always away playing football. This demonstrated his love and commitment to the sport,” he said.
Former Harambee Stars teammate Joseph Jesse Masiga described him as an inspiration whose brilliance terrified defenders.
Masiga who played for the rival AFC Leopards said Thigo was the biggest threat whenever the two soccer giants met.
“When Allan got the ball, defenders never knew where it would go next. At AFC Leopards, we had to assign one player to mark him,” Masiga said.
Thigo, who died on Saturday, was cremated at the Hindu Crematorium in Kisumu on Wednesday noon in the presence of family members, close friends and a section of Gor Mahia supporters who turned up to bid farewell to the celebrated football icon.
Before the cremation, fans were given a final opportunity to pay their last respects to the football giant, singing and dancing to famous Gor Mahia chants in an emotional send-off befitting one of the club’s most revered legends.
By Chris Mahandara
