www.Kisii.Com: Syndicated news from only reputable sources [Nation, and Standard Newspapers, Kenya Times, KBC, etc.]

Manasseh Oisebe: Passing away of a great administrator

  • Print
Details
Published on Saturday, 02 June 2007 07:51

If a question was asked to name the people who have had a great influence on Kenyan sports, not many would mention Sweney Manasseh Oisebe.

Sarafino Antao, Henry Rono, Joe Kadenge, Joginder Singh and more recently Joe Masiga, Paul Wekesa, Robert Wangila, Peter Dawo and Paul Tergat readily come to mind. For all that they may have done in the limelight Oisebe played a significant part behind the scenes. He was involved in the formation of the Football Association of Kenya in 1960 when leaders started thinking of an organised body to run the world's most popular game leading to the introduction of a country-wide league in 1963.

His hand was also present in athletics during these heady days of post-independence. Oisebe was one of three people who went to inspect a high altitude training venue in Nyahururu prior to the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games. The others were Charles Mukora, who was the Kenya team coach and William Yeda, a sports official.

The team trained for a month in the rarefied air of Nyahururu and the results were all there to see. Kenya registered their second best ever Olympic performance with Naftali Temu (10,000m) securing Kenya's first Olympic gold medal. Kipchoge Keino (1,500m) and Amos Biwot (3,000m steeplechase) added two others. "Oisebe was one of the pioneers of athletics in Kenya. He gave a great service in social and community development to this country," Mukora, who later became the chairman of the NOCK said a few days after Oisebe passed away.

The two worked together in the in Ministry of Social Services in the 1960s and later in the 1987 All Africa Games management committee.Oisebe was also involved directly in other sports. He served at various times in the 60s, 70s and 80s as secretary general of Kenya Olympic Association, secretary of Supreme Council of Sports in Africa Zone Five and chairman of Kenya Swimming Association. In the Government, Osiebe started out as a community development officer 1964. He rose to a provincial director of social services. He moved to Nairobi four years later as principal sports officer and climbed to deputy commissioner of social services where he retired in 1985. Oisebe was born 1930 in Kisii. He attended Nyanchwa Primary and Kamagambo Secondary before joining the Government after a few year in teaching. He unsuccessfully ran for parliament in Bonchari in 1988 and 1997. Perhaps his sporting demeanour was less suited for the dirt of politics. But it served him well in four decades of outstanding service to the country.