Opinion: It is Time Bandari Gets It Right

On Tuesday last week, news that the Bandari FC board of trustees had been dissolved by the Kenya Ports Authority leadership came as a surprise to many fans. To those who have spent time around football clubs run by corporate entities, however, it was less shocking. In corporate boardrooms, especially where large budgets are involved, conversations often revolve around return on investment, performance appraisal and performance management. Football clubs are not immune to these realities.

We have seen this story before. Kenya Revenue Authority dissolved Ushuru FC. Kenya Power and Lighting Company pulled the plug on Nairobi Stima, Western Stima and Coast Stima. Even under the banner of corporate social responsibility, sustaining football clubs eventually became financially unbearable for those institutions. Bandari FC’s case is slightly different. By retaining the club, Kenya Ports Authority continues to project itself as a corporate citizen that cares about the local community around the Port of Mombasa, its most profitable asset.

And yet, there is an uncomfortable truth that cannot be ignored. Since the club’s formation in 1986, Bandari FC has never won the top flight league title. For any serious stakeholder, that is alarming. Rival fans may mock and call for the club to be disbanded, but that is not their decision to make. For Bandari supporters, however, this drought should be a major source of concern.

In my view, the failure to win the league over nearly four decades points squarely to leadership failure. Either the leaders lack the ambition and drive to grow the club, or they are more focused on personal comfort than on building a lasting legacy. The argument that there has never been enough funding does not hold water. In boardrooms, there is a familiar saying: money follows function. If Bandari truly needed more resources to sign top quality players and compete seriously, the responsibility lay with the board to present strong, well thought out proposals. Winning trophies and achieving continental visibility would not only elevate the club, but also enhance KPA’s profile as it competes with other port authorities regionally and across the continent. Regular continental exposure for Bandari is free and powerful visibility for KPA. To hide behind budget excuses is simply lazy.

What makes this even more painful is that younger clubs have done what Bandari has failed to do. Teams formed years after Bandari have risen from the lower divisions and gone on to win the league, often with far less financial backing. Sofapaka, Ulinzi Stars, Police FC and others have all lifted the title. This is not a money problem. It is a leadership problem.

Kenya Police FC is a perfect example. Formed just nine years ago, the club, under the leadership of Nyale Munga and Chris Oguso, climbed the ranks and won the men’s league. Their women’s team went on to win the league two times in a row. In contrast, Bandari could not even help their women’s team secure promotion to the top tier, despite facing opponents with far weaker financial muscle. Matters deteriorated to the point where key players walked away at the beginning of this season to clubs in worse financial shape, but with clearer vision and direction.

So, what next for Bandari FC?

The dissolution of the board presents a rare opportunity. The appointing authority has a clean slate and must be extremely deliberate about the quality of leaders it brings in. The next board should operate on performance based contracts tied to a clear short term and long term blueprint. A blueprint that demands competitiveness, locally and internationally.

If the appointing authority is listening, the moment is now. Bandari needs leaders who live and breathe ambition. Leaders who will work tirelessly to grow a strong fan base, a key requirement under CAF club licensing. Leaders who will aggressively pursue additionsl revenue streams to strengthen the club’s financial muscle and allow it to compete with the best in the region.

Bandari FC needs courage, vision and accountability. This reset must not be cosmetic. Get it right now, or keep living in mediocrity.