When Herbert Kungah career in the local football scene came to an end as a professional footballer his life changed significantly for him and his young family.
Herbo, as he is commonly referred to by his peers was well-prepared for life after active football, the former accountant and auditor at Makeni Mutua CPAK.
His then boss and former Nairobi City stars owner Peter Jabuya assigned him to assume a senior most role in the ranks of the football club, chief operations officer, which was to oversee all the club operations. A move that ensured a flow of transition from the playing unit to the management echelons.
Just like many professional footballers, it’s always a tall order to fit in the society which regards you as a superstar with a life of opulence and stardom despite the life coming to an end.
However, Kungah’s background in auditing and accounting, business management, project, events, marketing and proposal formulation ensured he was able to fit in the society easily and adopt a new way of survival.
That’s when Kungah came up with a program ‘Wacheza-Tu-Invest campaign with the aim of mentoring athletes on how to prepare for life after their active sporting career comes to an end.
According to Kungah his purpose with the campaign is to break the intergenerational gap in football professionalism by ensuring that the current generation of footballers are acquainted with basic life skills beyond the football field.
“The “bubble”-like conditions of privilege players experience while playing, often leave players unprepared for the real world once they retire and must manage their own lives,” Kungah said in an exclusive interview with People Daily Sports.
Kungah adds the program covers all leagues in Kenya from the county level to the Premier League with all genders involved where they are using coaches, team managers, and former players to ensure that the program is a success.
Major areas the Wacheza-Tu-Campaign is focused on are Educational opportunities where they have partnered with Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) to provide 50% scholarship program for athletes who may want to continue with their education.
The campaign is also focused on Financial/Investment literacy whereby they have collaborated with some Saccos to provide the education program on the Sacco products suitable for the players such as savings, viable investment plans, and credit facilities available for them. The campaign is also focused on Athlete social media branding
Under Kungah the campaign has also made great strides by collaborating with PalmsBet among many other top brands in the country to ensure that the Program is a success in terms of getting mentors and moving around the football clubs.
“I want to see established players who are accountants, bankers, doctors, engineers, and in all other professions. This perhaps what led to the birth of Athlete mentorship program something that didn’t happen during our playing time, we want players to be their own brand and role models. We want players who can communicate effectively. Who can assume the leadership role in the society among others,” a proud Kungah added.
Kungah is a former professional footballer having played for Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF-PL) sides Nairobi City Stars FC and Ligi Ndogo SC.
He is a TMS manager with a trained background in Club Licensing techniques and an astute football administrator, also a former operations manager at City Stars Fc.
Despite all that under his hat, Kungah also drafts sponsorship proposals to link football clubs to prospective corporate sponsors besides advising the football clubs on the implementation of club licensing criteria and techniques and why they are important.
Besides, consultancy job Herboh runs a digital marketing and events company. He also coordinates an outreach initiative dubbed #1000shoesfor1000souls# a program which is geared towards donating toughees school shoes to the vulnerable in society i.e. orphanages and children’s homes.
Consequently, the project has made great strides with partnerships from the Doshi Group of companies who donated 200 pairs of school shoes to liberty children’s Home through his proposals and corporate engagement.
Kungah concludes the interview by accommodating the fact that, despite the challenges former players face, it is possible for them to find success after leaving the scene if they have the right support, education, and awareness of what might await them.
