Tom Alila urges grassroots football development after Kenya’s CHAN success
By Joel Masibo, September 1, 2025Football administrator Tom Alila has called for a structured approach to football development in Kenya, emphasising that schools and grassroots leagues must form the backbone of the country’s future success in the sport.
Speaking on on a local radio station on Monday, September 1, 2025, in the aftermath of Kenya’s successful hosting of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) matches in Nairobi, Alila praised the country’s organisational milestone but warned that the national team setup still reflects a “knee-jerk reaction” in player selection.
“For development of Kenya to go further ahead, because this team was collected in a knee-jerk reaction, you know, picking from the leagues and all that. But we must have a specific goal for us to improve in football. Development must be done in schools. There’s no two way about it,” he stated.
Alila pointed to the strength of footballing nations such as Morocco and Madagascar, whose domestic leagues are well-organised and competitive, noting that Kenya must follow suit if it hopes to compete effectively on the continental stage.
“CHAN normally shows you that if your leagues are not very strong, then it reflects on your performance. That is what we are going through,” he explained, aligning with Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Hussein Mohammed’s recent call to monetise football.
Sponsorships at the grassroots
He stressed that the real growth of the game lies in grassroots competitions, particularly at the secondary school level, where communities passionately support their teams. Drawing from personal experience, Alila recalled how fans from Homa Bay travelled to Kakamega to support their local school teams during national games, citing examples like Wagai from Nyakach and Musingu High School as proof of football’s deep roots in Kenya’s social fabric.
“Football is played at the grassroots. You can see even in the secondary school games, it is big,” he said, adding that the sport’s popularity has even attracted heavy sponsorships. “That’s why these betting companies, you can see they are now putting in Ksh100 million in the Kenya Premier League.”
Alila urged policymakers, federations, and private sector stakeholders to channel resources into schools and community leagues, warning that without a clear developmental pathway, Kenya risks lagging in the football renaissance sweeping across Africa.