Will Bonface Ambani restore the lost glory in the den?

Bonface Ambani was recently elected as chairman of AFC Leopards. He becomes the second former player to lead the Leopards’ den.

He succeeded Dan Shikanda on June 29, 2025. Shikanda, who was at the helm for six years, since 2019, played at Ingwe in the late 1980s, while Ambani was in the club in 1998 when they won their last Premier League title.

Their contemporaries Gor Mahia have never elected a former player as chairman.

Meanwhile, former players have led other clubs like Tusker and Ulinzi Stars. It was common for wealthy Luos and Luhyas to rise to the chairmanship of the club due to the belief that they can leverage their networks to support the club. It was also a means to prominence in the two communities, hence a pathway to politics, like it happened for Job Omino and Alfred Sambu.

Times are slowly changing, but Gor Mahia are still stuck with Ambrose Rachier, better known as Ador. A deep-pocketed chairman who has been at the helm since 2008, when he took over from Erastus Okul. He is in his first four-year term under the 2013 Sports Act that gives chairmen two four-year terms. Ambani is the first to serve in the den under the 2013 Sports Act.

In my discussions with Mathews ‘Ottamax’ Owino, he said two clubs have always had money chairmen cum fathers who look at players as their sons. They are happy to serve the clubs and their communities by putting their money in recruiting players as well as the welfare of players. One such chairman was the late Francis Chahonyo. The former Managing Director of the defunct Kenya Post and Telecommunication Corporation had a big heart and a deep pocket to go with it.

On the flipside, Chahonyo did not have the deeper knowledge of football in terms of the technical aspects of it. This is where Peter Onalo comes in. Peter Onalo, a lawyer, did not play professional football but was adept with all aspects of football. He had been instrumental in setting up Hakati FC as a club for Luhyas from Busia that folded up towards the late 1980s.

He operated his law firm from Pioneer House, and Ababu Namwamba was there as a young lawyer learning the ropes. This gave him an upper hand because he could put his money where he knew it would have good returns. Chahonyo, on the other hand, relied on advice from coaches to make decisions.

Gor Mahia had Job Omino as patron in the 1980s with Zack Mbori as chairman. Mbori did not play professional football, but Omino played for Re-Union briefly in the 1960s before quitting to concentrate on his civil service career. As a grandson of a colonial chief and son of a pioneer civil servant, Omino also brought deep pockets and connections to the club.

Erastus Okul also had good knowledge of football from the technical side to the administrative side of it. This was instrumental in keeping Gor Mahia afloat in the 1990s when the fortunes of community clubs dwindled. A club is safe with a leader who has both the technical and administrative knowledge, even if he has never coached a club.

This is what gives players a good footing to lead clubs because they have the dressing room experience. They have also lived through different coaches, so they have an idea of football philosophies. Inasmuch as they are not expected to interfere directly with the technical bench’s decisions, they will use it to hire the best coaches and pay for the right players.

This means that coaches will have to justify their interest in a certain player before the club signs them. When a club chairman doesn’t have the know-how, then cartels step in to take advantage and sign players who will guarantee them huge kickbacks in signing fees. This has been a big challenge for our clubs.

Their experience as players gives them the knowledge of how to look after the players well. He will know not just how much to pay but also how to put the installments in ways that do not disadvantage the players. I believe their experience in how their contracts were handled will save the two clubs from Fifa bans and fines due to breaches of contractual obligations with players.

The challenge is life rarely gives you every talent you need to perform in life. If you are gifted, you will lack the financial backing. Most football players lack the knack for making money, which is critical in running clubs. Football is also considered a poor man’s game, so players tend to come from the lower strata of society. This inhibits their ability to network at the level where they can mobilise resources for the club.

Nevertheless, the ability to reach out and win trust is critical. When a club elects someone like Ambani, his success is pegged to his ability to rally the wealthy fans of the club to support the club. It is one of the important abilities players must begin to develop if they intend to be considered for club chairmanship. Ambani is an entrepreneur, which gives him the language to speak at spaces where such fans are found.

All the best, Bonface Ambani, the duke of Shiseno.’ We are waiting to see how he will handle the technical bench, where his elder brother, Fred Ambani, is the head coach. It can still be an Ambani family affair, as long as the club wins and flourishes.