NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 15 – President William Ruto says he is impressed by plans to make AFC Leopards a formidable force in local and continental football, presented to him by AFC Leopards officials, as they paid him a courtesy call at State House, Nairobi, on Thursday afternoon.
As they celebrate 60 years of existence, the 12-time FKF Premier League champions were hosted by the Head of State at the House on the Hill, represented by the club’s leadership led by chairman Dan Shikanda, as well as select leaders of their various fan groups.
President Ruto said he was impressed by the plan presented by the club’s leadership to transform Ingwe to a massive entity, urging other clubs to emulate them.
“They (leaders) briefed me on the impressive plans to transform Ingwe into a formidable corporate entity. We fully support these progressive plans, and invite other football clubs to follow suit by taking advantage of the transformative agenda my administration is rolling out through our Talanta Hela flagship initiative under the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports,” President Ruto said in a statement, after the visit.
The Head of State further praised the club for the role they have played in shaping the Kenyan football narrative, with the club’s legends such as JJ Masiga among others still ranked as legends of Kenyan football to date.
Leopards turned 60 since their inception on Tuesday, and the celebrations will culminate in a mega friendly match to be played next weekend in Nairobi.
The club has won the Premier League title 12 times, though the last time they enjoyed title delight was in 1998. They have also not won silverware since 2017 when they clinched the FKF Cup, and hope that on their 60th, they can quench that thirst with the Cup again.
