Sammy “Kempes” Owino believes the poor performance of Kenyan clubs in the CAF Interclubs competitions is a reflection of the failure to invest meaningfully in youth development.

Kenyan champions Gor Mahia lost 6-0 on aggregate to African champions Al Ahly SC of Egypt in the CAF Champions League round of 32. Meanwhile, Kenya Police FC were defeated 3-1 on aggregate by Al Ahly’s long-time rivals, Zamalek SC, at the same stage in the CAF Confederation Cup.

For Kempes, this is not a new story. He sees it as the result of neglecting grassroots football. “I entered the famous Olympics Youth Center at the age of 12. By the time I was playing in the Premier League, I had matured enough to be at that level,” said the former Gor Mahia midfielder, who’s running for the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) presidency. He spoke to Passion Sports about the challenges Kenyan football faces.

Kempes, who won two consecutive CECAFA Club Cup Championships with K’Ogalo in 1980 and 1981, reflected on an era when Kenyan clubs dominated both regional and continental football. “Back then, players were local, we stayed together for a long time, and formed a formidable team that nobody could easily bully,” he added.

To regain that dominance, Kempes insists that Kenya must return to the basics of nurturing talent. “We need to go back to youth development. That’s the foundation of success.”

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He also pointed out that retaining players is another major issue. “Today, clubs lose their best players to better-paying teams, which makes it hard to build strong squads capable of competing on the continent,” Kempes explained. “To keep talents, clubs must have the financial muscle to pay them well.”

If elected FKF president, Kempes promises to overhaul the FKF Premier League to improve its competitiveness and appeal to investors. “The league we have right now lacks quality, and that’s why our clubs struggle beyond our borders. I plan to restructure it to make it more attractive to sponsors and investors,” he stated.

For Kempes, everything comes down to leadership. He argued that the current lack of trust in football administration has driven away potential investors. “Who will trust you with their money if they don’t trust your leadership?” he asked rhetorically.

Kempes faces competition from Hussein Mohammed, former FKF president Sam Nyamweya, and former KPL Chief Executive Officer Jack Oguda in the race for the FKF presidency. It remains unclear whether incumbent Nick Mwendwa will defend his seat.