FROM PLAYING TO COACHING: FORMER KENYAN FOOTBALLER PAUL OKATWA ‘THE JOURNEYMAN’ URGES PLAYERS TO UNITE AND PROTECT THEIR RIGHTS

Former Kenyan footballer turned coach, Paul Odhiambo Okatwa has urged players to be more united and stand up for their rights, at a time when the football industry is facing an upheaval path.

Speaking in a recent interview, Okatwa revealed the challenges he faced during his career and the need for players to come together to protect their interests, united under their unions including the Kenya Footballers Welfare Association (KEFWA).

The former player recounted his experience in 2016 when he got a knee injury while playing for Muhoroni Fc, and his contract was cut short mid-season.

“Imagine you have an injury that you got fighting for the club’s glory, not yet recovered and they tell you that you are not in their plans, mid-season. This is a player who has basic needs to meet and that of their families who are looking up to them,” he recounted one of the ordeals.

After being terminated unlawfully with unpaid salary, Okatwa pursued the case under KEFWA, the union mandated to protect the rights and welfare of professional football players in Kenya. “We successfully won the case, and our salaries were paid,” he revealed, further calling on KEFWA to continue being more vigilant.

Also known as the “journeyman,” Okatwa is a renowned talented footballer who featured for over 10 Kenyan teams including Gormahia, AFC Leopards, Kakamega Homeboyz, Muhoroni, Sofapaka and Tusker.

“I decided to pursue coaching because I felt I did not fully achieve what I wanted as a player due to the nagging knee injury that cut short my career, and my first motivation is to make things right by nurturing the next generation of Kenyan players,” he noted.

His admiration is for coaches who prioritize their players’ welfare, including Nicholas Muyoti, Francis Ochola, and Sammy Omollo ‘Pamzo’.