International Initiatives

US-based former Harambee Stars and Gor Mahia midfielder Sammy Owino ‘Kempes’ has kickstarted his plan of building a football academy on a 75 acre parcel of land in Kenya to develop talent. Kempes arrived in the country on Thursday and met ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo in his office before proceeding to Ziwani’s Umeme ground where he honed his skills. “There are three things that are very important to consider in order to develop football anywhere in the world. The first is to eliminate corruption because it is holding back the development of football, then you need good academies with international standards as well as making sure you raise coaching standards. These three things will advance our game," he said. While at Umeme FC he gave a donation of football equipment and says he has given enough to US football where he has a 32-acre academy in Texas and he now plans to start investing back home, with a view of raising the next generation of stars. His noble plan has also robbed in fellow ex-international Sammy Sholei. “He wants to build a soccer academy here and today we are going somewhere to check on the land. That's how I connected with Sammy and I mentioned Umeme where he started his football and that’s why we are here together trying to make sure it works out,” Shollei explained. Owino, a product of the Olympic Centres in Kenya made his national team debut in 1978 at the age of 18 and also played for Luo Union and Re-Union. The U.S Soccer Federation Level A coaching license holder built his AYSES Academy in Texas, United States, from scratch and now has over 700 players and seven fields, sitting on a 32-acre land. Shollei, on his part, who once served as Football Kenya Federation Vice President Sammy has been working together with former ex- Harambee Stars coaches Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee, Musa Otieno and Rishad Shedu to develop football in the country.