Heritage

Work cut out for golf managers as KGU goes to poll

kgu

President Uhuru Kenyatta (centre) with KGU chairman Peter Kanyago (right) and other dignitaries at a recent golf event. FILE PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU | NMG

The Kenya Golf Union (KGU) goes to the polls today at the 2017 annual general meeting (AGM), traditionally held at the Muthaiga Golf Club.

Over many decades, the KGU meeting has been without incident, very much in line with the AGMs at member golf clubs. And this year is no different.

The top executive positions of the union are uncontested — Richard Wanjalla takes over as chairman of the KGU, he is easily the longest serving member of the union, having served as treasurer and vice chairman.

Wanjalla is nominated by Muthaiga Golf Club. Limuru Country Club has nominated Lucas Maranga for the position of vice chairman and he too is unopposed. Royal Nairobi has nominated Ben Omuodo for the position of honorary secretary and he too is unopposed.

The Karen Country Club has nominated Anthony Murage for the position of honorary treasurer and he will assume that role.

For the position of KGU executives, eight candidates have been nominated with only six slots available, and this will require a vote from the members of the union to decide who takes up the positions.

The nominees include Windsor’s Mike Macharia, Kiambu’s Robert Kairo, KAF’s George Gathu, Thika’s Ndiga Kithae, Vet’s Njani Ndiritu, Sigona’s Peter Kiguru, Muthaiga’s Henry Njoroge and Limuru’s Vincent Wangombe.

At the 2016 KGU annual general meeting 10 candidates had been nominated including Asif Padamshi (Windsor), Ben Omoudo (Royal), Charles Kipngok (Kericho), Chris Kieu (Kiambu), George Gathu (KAF), Ndiga Kithae (Thika), Nobert Wabwire (Railway), Peter Kiguru (Sigona), Robert Kario (Golf Park) and Vincent Wangombe (Limuru).

As expected, Kairo was not elected by the members of the union, he was, however, co-opted into the union as the executive for the Mount Kenya region.

Missing from the list of those seeking to serve the union are golfers from golf clubs out of Nairobi; and whilst the KGU may claim that the regional representatives play the role of coordinating union activities at the Coast, Mount Kenya and western regions, these representatives are not elected at the AGM but are union nominees.

Has the lack of devolution at the union stifled regional development? I have advocated in the past for the Junior Golf Foundation to be based at the Nyali Golf and Country Club, home to Kenya’s only par-3 course, suited to juniors and home to a very successful crop of junior golfers

For those vying for positions this evening and especially those who have served before, what vision do they offer the golf fraternity? What is their track record? What projects have they initiated? Where are we with the Kasarani public facility? Or the Lenana School 9-hole facility? Where are we with entrenching golf in primary schools? What became of the Golf Mashinani project? Has it done well? Is golf now played in schools across Kenya? What is the future of the KGU Golfer-of-the-Year series? What indeed is the future of our elite amateur squad?

The union, like any other leadership board works through committees, tournament, finance, administration and technical sub-committees, how has each committee performed? A Golf tourism committee was recently formed, how has that performed?