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Owalo to deputise Raila at Gor, promises stadium, clubhouse
Deputy Chief of Staff Eliud Owalo (second left) being handed Gor Mahia deputy patron jersey as other officials look on.
Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the President Eliud Owalo on Wednesday promised to spearhead the construction of a modern stadium and a clubhouse for local football giants Gor Mahia.
Owalo, who bought Gor Mahia a 42-seater bus worth Sh20 million in November 2023, said the infrastructural development will be his top priority and will be achieved in the shortest time possible.
“My primary goal as deputy patron is to ensure that within the shortest time possible, we facilitate the construction of a stadium for Gor Mahia, a clubhouse and will we go as far as building houses for the players,” the former Cabinet Secretary of Information, Communication and Digital Economy said.
Deputy Chief of Staff Eliud Owalo with Gor Mahia players, officials and the club's technical bench in Nairobi on April 16, 2025.
He was speaking in a city hotel when he hosted newly elected Gor Mahia officials, players and the team’s technical bench for lunch.
During the event, Owalo was announced the new club’s deputy patron. He took over from former Homa Bay Governor Cyprian Awiti who exited the post due to health reasons.
ODM leader Raila Odinga is Gor Mahia’s patron, having also played for the club when it was still known as Luo Union in the early 60s.
Owalo said his other areas of focus to see Gor excel on and off the pitch will be professionalisation, strategic planning, player recruitment, good governance, on-field performance, player welfare, membership expansion and marketing and branding.
“Prioritise the recruitment of high-calibre foreign players to boost competitiveness, but only in instances where commensurate talent is not available locally,” said Owalo.
On membership expansion, Owalo will use his post to ensure that Green Army hits the one million mark within the next one year. He has also promised to implement robust governance frameworks, policies, and operational procedures to ensure transparency, accountability, and integrity in the club’s operations.
Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier (right), Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the President Eliud Owalo (second right), the club's Secretary General Nicanor Arum (third right) and Treasurer Sally Bollo at a Nairobi hotel on April 16, 2025.
Club Chairman Ambrose Rachier, Sally Bollo (Vice-chairman), Nicanor Arum (Secretary General) and Gerphas Okuku (Honorary Treasurer) attended the luncheon while the technical bench was led by Croat Sinisa Mihic.
Rachier said for the vision and promise made by Owalo to come true, the club will have to buy a parcel of land, since the portion given to them by the late President Daniel arap Moi at Kasarani, has since been grabbed.