Co-operatives can spice up the beautiful game, nurture talents
Kenya will co-host one of Africa’s premier sports events – the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2027. Twenty-four countries participate in the AFCON games, which will be hosted jointly with Tanzania and Uganda. Thousands of football lovers will flock to the country, boosting tourism and other sectors.
The tournament’s economic impact will be huge, particularly on trade and investment. Most importantly, it will be a good thing for the development of football and sports facilities in the country.
As the country prepares for the spectacular sports event, the co-operative movement can seize the moment and take a central role in making the event successful.
From financing to tapping and nurturing talents, co-operatives societies have a big role to play.
Co-operatives have been supporting various sports, and AFCON presents a better opportune time for them to actively participate in sports development and raise their profile nationally.
Saccos, such as the Kenya National Police DT SACCO, have even constructed a stadium. The Police Sacco Stadium, located at the Kenya Police CID Training School in South C, Nairobi, is a project fully funded by the Society under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme.
It has a capacity of over 5,000 people with a volleyball pitch, a seven-lane athletics track, a VIP pavilion, changing rooms, and lavatories.
Launched by President William Ruto during the Sacco’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations, the stadium highlights the Co-operatives’ commitment towards supporting the promotion of sporting activities and tapping and nurturing of talents.
It is a hallmark of the co-operative sector’s commitment to making a difference in the community through service and embracing a business model that values people over profit.
The stadium is now the Police Football Club’s home grounds, saving its training costs while boosting its income by hiring the facility for use by national teams and top-flight clubs. The football club is now among the few in the country that has its own stadium thanks to the Kenya Police National Sacco intervention. Local communities will also have access to the ultra-modern sporting facility, promoting talent development.
The stadium is among major investments undertaken by the Sacco in promoting sporting activities, which include donating sports kits and equipment to teams such as the General Service Unit (GSU) Hockey and Volleyball teams.
Fortune Sacco, which is based in Kirinyaga, has also been instrumental in promoting sports. Its sponsored Fortune Sacco FC team plays in the Kenya Premier League. The Sacco focuses on uplifting the community through football.
Fortune FC has served as a launching pad for talented players now playing professional football in countries like Germany and Japan. As the Sacco continues to sponsor the football club, it has attracted young people to save with it, transforming their lives socially and economically. The Sacco has kept the youth away from social vices.
In an effort to contribute towards youth empowerment and building sports, Saccos such as Stima DT Sacco and Amica have been sponsoring teams by donating football kits. Stima Sacco has sponsored many teams, including Nzoia Sugar FC, while Amica is helping grow talents by supporting Kabati FC and Amica FC.
The Saccos’ effort is an excellent example of what the co-operative movement can achieve in sports and talent development through Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives. The media employees, sponsorship companies, football lovers, and foreign tourists flock to the host nation for the event, thus boosting local tourism.
AFCON comes with many benefits, including improved stadia, with Kenya fronting the Nyayo National Stadium, the Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani, and the Kipchoge Keino Stadium as the facilities to be used in the AFCON 2027 games. The stadia will be renovated to meet CAF-set stadia standards.
The highlight will be the construction of Talanta Sports Complex at Jamhuri Nairobi, which will be a 60,000-seater football stadium.
CAF requires that the AFCON host nation, or countries, have at least six stadia, with two that can hold at least 40,000 fans, another two with 20,000 fans capacity, and two that can hold at least 15,000 fans.
Co-operative financial support to sports will boost teams’ morale and performance, ultimately enhancing talent development as Kenya hopes to win 2027 AFCON.
Conversely, the institutions will reap from investments that will create more job opportunities for the youth, hence boosting the economy. Apart from the locals improving their livelihoods through booming businesses, they will also have an opportunity to watch the best players on the continent.
One of the Co-operative principles is Concern for Community, which means Co-operatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members. AFCON is coming home; co-operatives have a role in making the tournament a success.
