Just a week after Shabana booked their ticket to play in the FKF Premier League next season, politicians have come out from the wilderness, to fight for positions and seek relevance in the once mighty club.

The Kisii-based Glamour Boys ended their 17 years without top-flight action after defeating Migori Youth 1-0 at Gusii Stadium. The victory enabled them under head coach Sammy Okoth to earn direct promotion to the top-flight alongside Muranga Seal FC.

Though Shabana have three matches left to end the season, they are topping the National Super League (NSL) table with 67 points. Just a day after the news went round that Shabana are back to top flight football, politicians wasted no time before they started claiming their stake in the community team.

First, they were hosted to a luncheon by Education Cabinet Ssecretary Ezekiel Machogu at Bomas of Kenya, who helped raised over Sh2 million for the team, and the meeting was attended by several politicians allied to President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Party. Machogu had been referred to the team’s patron in the media invite.

On Friday, after Shabana defeated Darajani Gogo 3-0 at Posta Sacco grounds, they were again hosted to a dinner by Kisii Governor Simba Arati Kempiski Hotel. Arati, who is affiliated with the Azimio La Umoja coalition, was also appointed as the patron of the club and pledged a sponsorship deal worthy Sh20 million a year to aid the team.

But the big question is, where were these politicians when Shabana was struggling to honour league matches, to pay players and the technical bench officials? Further, questions are already being raised on how Arati became the Patron, without the approval of the club’s AGM.

According to veteran football administrator Sam Nyamweya, who was named the chairman of the funds drive to help raise Sh300 million for the club ahead of the new season, politicians will relegate Shabana even before they earn promotion, if they don’t speak in our language.

“It is a shame they went ahead to con governor Arati with the patron’s position, whereas Shabana have a sitting patron, this means everyone is waking up now after the club’s success,” Nyamweya told People Daily Sports, adding: “The best way out is for all of us to forget about our political affiliations, come together and support the team.”

Former Minister for Agriculture in the Kisii government Vincent Sagwe insists Shabana being a community club, should be left to the people to buy shares and elect competent officials to manage the same.

“I think Shabana should be a limited company where the public can buy shares and elect club leadership, who will manage the affairs of the club,” Sagwe told People Daily Sports, adding: “That way there will be order and misappropriation of funds can be tamed. It’s useless to allow politicians to masquerade as sponsors, patrons, etc. A football team should not be run like a political party.”

It is not only Shabana finding itself in such a situation. Kenyan giants Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards have been in such a quagmire before but solution has never been found. For example, AFC Leopards currently has over six