OPINION: Dennis Oliech's stuttering battle on the road to FKF leadership

By Stephen Ayoo

On his day – and many days he made his – Dennis Oliech was a football god. A phenomenon.

A force of nature blessed with the speed of wind, the strength of a tornado and the power of thunder that shook stadiums.

A menacing, explosive talent who shredded defences at will wherever he went - from the rugged streets in Mathare to the baking evening heat in the Gulf, to the lush grass pitches on a cold rainy night in Western France.

He was Mr. all weather, all terrain in a 17-year professional career that started in Mathare and ended at Gor Mahia, earning him fame, money, adoration and occasional controversy.

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At the national level, Oliech's prowess was almost unmatched, with 34 goals in 74 appearances for Kenya, leaving him just shy of becoming the country’s all-time leading goal scorer.

For all his might on the pitch, ‘The Menace’ was a reserved figure off it, his reticence stemming from a lifelong struggle with stuttering. But while words may have occasionally failed him, his feet spoke volumes, conveying a language of skill and determination.

As he matured and his achievements grew, Oliech became more comfortable in the limelight, gradually embracing media engagements.

Since his retirement, he has become increasingly vocal about the state of Kenyan football, culminating in his decision to vie for the presidency of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF), a position where talk is unfortunately more important than walk.

The presidenial field looks as murky as the pitches the 39-year-old started his career on. Like many ex-footballers, Oliech feels he has the answers to the ills that continue to plague local football.

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He has forged an alliance with former national teammate MacDonald Mariga and Extreme Sports CEO Hussein Mohammed as part of the opposition that will take on the incumbent Nick Mwendwa, should he vie for a third term, or his preferred successor.

In a recent interview on Radio Jambo, Oliech mentioned that player welfare was at the top of his agenda should he ascend to the top. His ‘players being treated well, eating well and sleeping well’ sentiment has drawn criticism from some football fans who feel that’s too skeleton a plan.

For a man who only speaks when he needs to, this seems like an unfair criticism.

When Cameroon great Samuel Eto’o announced his candidacy for the presidency of Cameroon’s football federation (Fecafoot) – on Instagram – he said: "Time is running out. Waiting is not an option. It is time to rebuild our football."

Not much razzle-dazzle or verbose. Simplicity.

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Because why would you doubt the words of a man who holds the enviable title of being Africa’s most decorated footballer, alongside Ivorian Yaya Toure, both having accumulated 18 trophies throughout their dazzling careers?

He campaigned on the platform of better player welfare for local and foreign players. He envisaged an Elite One (Cameroon’s topflight league) made of 16 teams where the least-earning player would take home Kshs. 100,000. I know of players in Kenya’s topflight who earn ten times less per month, which is never paid on time, if at all.

At the ballot, he ousted the incumbent Seidou Mbombo Njoya by 43 votes to 31.

Over two years later, Eto’o has demonstrated commitment to his task, injecting positive growth in infrastructure and player welfare.

Oliech may not have the honours of the man who grew up nicknamed “Little Milla”.

He probably would have a few had Al-Arabi not rejected a Sh100m offer from Monaco to transfer him to the French principality back in 2005. Or if he had not left French side AC Ajaccio, where he was a superstar, for Dubai CSC which he admitted was the mistake that put him on the retirement door.

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However, he is a national football icon just like Eto’o is. The Joe Kadenge of our days.

Unlike Eto’o, Oliech navigates a different path.

His stutter presents a unique challenge in his quest to communicate his vision for the sport. Stuttering impedes the fluidity of speech, often leading to misunderstandings or underestimation of ideas.

His selective communication style, born out of necessity, may obscure the depth of his proposals and hinder his ability to express himself fully.

Individuals with stutters often develop coping mechanisms, such as speaking only when necessary, to navigate conversations smoothly – he often does. This selective communication style may inadvertently mask the richness of his ideas as he hits the campaign trail and he might refrain from expressing himself fully due to the fear of being misunderstood or ridiculed.

Stuttering does not diminish Oliech's intellect or passion for the game. Dismissing his plans as simplistic due to his speech impediment is unfair and overlooks the wealth of experience, insights and solutions he could bring to Kenyan football given his unique perspective and experiences.

So cut him some slack, shall we? He may just be the man we need who speaks less and does most to save our game.

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