Sports administrator Tom Alila addresses the media and football stakeholders as he officially announced his candidacy for the FKF presidency at 83 Ndoto Road in Lavington, Nairobi on October 8, 2024.
He may be a seasoned sports administrator, but Tom Alila who is contesting for the presidency in the Football Kenya Federation elections, faces a tall order.
FKF national elections will take place on December 7.
Alila, 56, will come up against seven other candidates in the high-stakes elections, which will take place at the Moi International Sports Centre (MISC) Gymnasium in Kasarani, Nairobi, from 9 am.
The other seven candidates are; reigning FKF vice president Doris Petra, former FKF Chief Executive Officer Barry Otieno, Gor Mahia’s Secretary General Sam Ochola, Murang’a Seal FC vice chairman Hussein Mohammed, and Kakamega Homeboyz FC chairman Cleophas Shimanyula. His running mate is football coach and referee Beryl Adhiambo.
Born and raised in Homa Bay County, Alila’s journey in football administration has seen him serve as FKF’s National Executive Committee (NEC) member for Nyanza region from 2011 to 2016. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Insurance and Finance from the University of Delhi in India. Alila has ventured into the security and insurance sectors.
But Alila’s experience transcends football. In 2010, he unsuccessfully vied for the Mbita parliamentary seat in a by-election following the death of former assistant minister Joshua Orwa Ojode. He ran on a KANU ticket.
In 2017, Alila unsuccessfully ran for the seat of governor in Homa Bay County on Jubilee party ticket.
The father of four believes he is the ideal candidate to succeed Nick Mwendwa in the management of Kenyan football owing to his wealth of experience in sports administration.
“I am the only one who stands for change. With my experience in sports administration, I promise you my administration will turn around Kenya’s football, which has been in the doldrums due to poor management,” Alila told Nation Sport.
Under the slogan: “Hakuna Kulia na Alila” (There will be no regrets under Alila’s leadership), the former NEC member plans to revive Kenyan football by focusing on four key areas should he be elected FKF president. These are financial transparency, professionalism, the development of grassroots and youth football, and the growth of women’s football.
In his 14-page manifesto, Alila says his administration will ensure financial transparency at FKF by establishing independent oversight committees to monitor the use of public funds. He has promised to publish FKF's audited financial reports and make them available to the public through an online portal.
He plans to raise the profile of the FKF Premier League through strategic corporate partnerships and to generate additional income through the sale of merchandise, media rights and promotional events.
He has proposed that the FKF-PL should operate under a professional league company overseen by the Federation and that local club officials should be financially literate to enable them to generate revenue independently and manage funds effectively.
Alila states in his manifesto that a Players Welfare Fund will be set up under his watch to provide financial assistance to all stakeholders in the sport.
Recognising that grassroots football is the foundation of the sport, Alila plans to work with primary and secondary school sports associations to promote football development. Under the proposed programme, local coaches will be seconded to schools to identify talent and set up a talent development structure for players between the ages of 17 and 23.
Selected schools and community centres will be equipped with the necessary resources to act as talent development hubs.
They will also develop youth leagues and district tournaments for continuous talent development.
"These centres will act as talent hubs where young players can develop under expert guidance to prepare them for national teams and professional opportunities," said Alila.
He added that his administration will work with county governments and the private sector to ensure that every county has access to quality pitches and training centres.
“Importantly, we must acknowledge the immense potential in our women’s football. The Junior Starlets competed in the 2024 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in the Dominican Republic, a remarkable milestone which points to our potential, given proper and purposeful investment in our girls,” he says.
