KGU boss Wanjalla relishes mission of spreading game in Kenya

When Richard Wanjalla was elected the chairman of the Kenya Golf Union (KGU) in May 2017, his ideas to fulfil his mandate in the union, seemed to stray from the tried and tested ways of past chairmen.

Wanjalla did not want his leadership at the union to be business as usual. He wanted to do something for the game of golf that generations would remember him and the union for.

Hence he embarked on a number of projects he thought were of great importance to the game.

Wanjalla’s number one project amongst many was to increase the number of golfers in the country.

He also wanted to set up a museum where records about the game of golf could be preserved for future generations.

Wanjalla at the same time saw the need to compile data on Kenya’s golf history. It was with this in mind that he realised the KGU was turning 90 this year.

So, why not produce a book that highlights some of the union’s achievements in addition to also recording the activities of the union over the past 90 years.

“I used to ask myself whether these ideas were achievable, but the more I thought about them, the more I felt challenged to go on and try and achieve them. I did not want my tenure to be business as usual,’’ says Wanjalla, whose term of office comes to an end on May 18 when the KGU will hold its annual general meeting to usher in new officials.

“When I took over as chairman last year, the number of golfers affiliated to the union were 5,747.  I thought this number was very small considering that we have about 42 golf clubs in Kenya. Compare this to countries like South Africa which has about 118,000 golfers from 460 clubs."

UNABLE TO AFFORD FEES

Wanjalla therefore saw the need for clubs to increase the number of members. And though a number of clubs such as Ruiru and Thika Sports have over the past one year organised membership drives and listed many new members, many Kenyans are not able to afford some of the fees charged by the clubs.

“It is because of the expenses involved for one to become a member of a club, that made me realise that, the only other way we can increase the number of golfers in the country and by extension introduce the game of golf to the rest of Kenyans, was to introduce public golf courses," says Wanjalla.

He thus embarked on a journey to visit several counties in the country to sell the idea which he says has been received very well by a number of governors.

“As of now, I have approached some golfing personalities from Kirinyaga County with the view of them playing a role in identifying land for the purpose of creating a golf course," adds Wanjalla.

He says of the 47 counties in Kenya, 28 have no golf courses. He says if all the counties have at least two-nine hole courses, and engage professionals, within a very short period of time the game of golf will spread.

With more people playing golf, Wanjalla reckons Kenya will be able to produce talented players who can in turn compete in top international events just like other disciplines such as football, rugby and athletics.

He on the other hand says county courses will help demystify the notion that golf is a game of the rich.

“I find myself in a position where I should take a stance on a debate which has been simmering over the past 90 years on the existence of the KGU. We have golfers and golf administrators who have taken a very strong position that golf is not for the elite or the rich only….It is a sport like all others. On the other hand we have a much bigger constituency of people from all walks of life who are non-golfers or who have never been exposed to any aspect of golf but who have a deep and fiercely embedded perception that golf is for the elite and the rich in society. We have to accept that there is a serious disagreement in this matter.”

He says many companies, government agencies, and other organisations still pay joining fees for their employees to various clubs. This is something that should be encouraged so that we can have more Kenyans financially facilitated to become golfers in the future.

“Imagine what the scenario would be if all major companies set aside substantial funds as a budgetary item under their CSR to enable not only their employees but any talented golfer identified by the KGU to join a golf club."

“I am very sure that if golf is taken to the rural areas, it will attract many young Kenyans and we are likely to discover lots of talent.”

Wanjalla advises club management to operate their clubs as businesses. That way, the clubs will be able to generate revenue which in turn will help the clubs improve their facilities.

On county courses, Wanjalla says there is a great chance for counties to team up with either local or foreign investors to make those courses in addition to promoting tourism and money generating activities.

“My vision is that Kenya will become a great golfing country when the KGU strategic plan of transforming the sport is fully implemented. The newly incorporated company, County Golf Parks Limited will be the special vehicle that will create a pool of expertise from among the many eminent golfers in the country to help with co-ordination, technical and advisory back up to the County Governments to achieve the set goals,” says Wanjalla with conviction.

“The increase in the number of golf courses will rapidly increase the population of golfers in the country. The directive by President Uhuru Kenyatta to introduce golf in schools including children with special needs will truly be the avenue to demystify the sport and unlock skills and talent from all corners of Kenya. Through the Junior Golf Foundation we shall tap into youth from the grassroots at a tender age and create a natural pipeline to feed the Professional Golfers of Kenya talented players who will propel the sport to the highest level.”

'NURTURE AND MENTOR YOUNG GOLFERS'

The Golf Talent Foundation is another wing of KGU which is specifically tasked to mentor and nurture young golfers aged 19 years and above.

GTF is working with universities to popularise the sport in institutions of high learning.

Says Wanjalla: “I would like to see a situation where proper career guidance is given to young students who can aspire to become professional golfers."

Wanjalla says the students should be given scholarships to study locally and abroad with guaranteed job opportunities in Government to work as teachers/lecturers as per the curriculum being developed for schools.

“This will change the current trend where junior golfers quickly turn into social golfers by the time they finish their university education. The Kenya Open Golf Limited, which is a company wholly owned by the KGU has performed very well."

Wanjalla says that besides the international championship tournaments, the KOGL is actively engaged in facilitating the Professional Golfers of Kenya to build on their capacity through training and golf tours.

This he says will accord the professionals a decent income and enhance their performance to increase chances of winning major tournaments.

Additionally, the KOGL continues to collaborate and work closely with JGF and PGK so that local golf professionals can offer training and golf clinics in the Pro-Am during the KOGL sponsored Safari Tours.

The KGU boss reveals that the current focus on golf tourism targets international golfers. He has recommended that the Ministry of Tourism through Magical Kenya and the Tourism Finance Corporation finance construction of 47 residential facilities at each of the clubs to promote local tourism.

Wanjalla says though all the projects he has initiated are on going, he is very proud to have brought the union to work closer with the government and the media.

“Since I took over the chairmanship, the union has been able to receive support from the government through Sports Kenya and I would like to urge those coming into the union to maintain that good relationship not only with the government but also with the media. It is through the exposure by the media that the union and even clubs will be able to carry on their activities of improving the facilities for the benefit of the game."

But Wanjalla on the other hand says there is need to harmonise all the golfing bodies in order for them to serve golfers well.

“The KGU being the oldest sporting body in the country is now a big brand which should not disappear to pave way for other bodies but rather the others such as the Kenya Golf Federation, which was established for the purposes of meeting the requirement of the new Sports Act, should be incorporated into the KGU to make it stronger. But this is a matter for the in-coming committee to look at critically.”

On the other hand, Wanjalla says he is indeed humbled and very privileged to be the one presiding over the KGU on the auspicious occasion of the 90th Anniversary celebrations.

“I salute the visionary leaders who founded the KGU and invite the entire golfing fraternity, who have kept the sport thriving in Kenya, to spare a moment and celebrate our great heritage,” says Wanjalla.

Though the KGU boss, who is also a member of Kitale Club, started playing golf in 1995 when his employer then, the Nation Media Group sponsored him to join Muthaiga Golf Club, his knowledge of the game goes many, many years back.

“When I was small boy growing up at Endebess Coffee Estate on the slopes of Mount Elgon in Trans-Nzoia County little did I know that I was performing the duties of a caddy when I ran bare foot across the fields to locate golf balls for a white manager called C. Upton," Wanjalla remembers.

He is most grateful to the Nation Media Group chairman WiIfred Kiboro who in addition to encouraging him to start playing golf supported him to join the Muthaiga Golf Club.

“Little did I know that I was embarking on a long journey that will eventually land me in the leadership of the game."

“In my later years as a senior manager at Nation Media Group, I was pleasantly surprised when A.A.A Ekirapa, who was then the executive chairman, and Wilfred D. Kiboro, the current chairman of the group sponsored me to become a member of the prestigious Muthaiga Golf Club.

“Without these two gentlemen I probably would never have seen the inside of a golf club leave alone rise to the position of KGU chairman.”

Wanjalla says after joining Muthaiga, the late Zack Mbori, who was his senior when he worked at Shell & BP,  and other members recommended him to be the Chairman of the Membership and Disciplinary committee of the club.

After his service on the Muthaiga board, his next destination was the KGU where he first became the treasurer for four years. He later became the vice chairman before ascending to the chairmanship in May last year, in his sixth year at the Union.

Wanjalla, worked twice at NMG, first in the early 1970s before making a return in 1989 until he finally retired in January 2007.

Now a business man, he says the big story of golf in Kenya will never be complete until the time each and every golfer narrates what they have done, seen, heard or felt on the golf course.

“I will never forget, for one, the day when I sunk a Hole-In-One, at hole number 16  at Muthaiga in the year 2010’’.