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He saw potential in us and made it his mission to change our lives, MYSA alumni mourn Bob Munro

He mentored tons of young people around the Mathare slums and built humans from shells. His passing Monday hit hard hit hard but, according to one of the beneficiaries, Anthony Kimani, his was all about service to humanity

At 82 years of age, he still had it all; passion, attention, encouragement, and most of all commitment in all he put his hands and heart on.

This was the story of recently departed Bob Munro, the Canadian native who called Kenya home for almost five decades and making memories that lasted a lifetime. The founder of Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) and Mathare United Football Club is a community man who believed in order, decency and opportunities for all.

He mentored tons of young people around the Mathare slums and built humans from shells. His passing Monday hit hard but, according to one of the beneficiaries of his programme, Anthony Kimani, who rose from player to certified coach, his was all about service to humanity.

“Bob was special in many respects. He saw potential in people and his mission was simply to change lives. He settled in Mathare because he felt there were needs that could be addressed and he identified sports and the youth as a good mix and catalyst to drive transformation,” he tells the Informer Media.

Kimani, who has coached Ulinzi Stars FC, Bandari FC and AFC Leopards SC, adds that the late Munro ensured sustainability by following through on progress.

“He wanted to see growth of a product and that explains why his mentees are very successful to date. He created an organisational structure that was cyclical and this meant for the most part it was definite what a concept should turn out to be. I am happy to have gone through his hands and a lot of my peers are doing well especially in areas of policy, politics and even coaching.”

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“He used sports for greater good and this is because of how the community embraced the subject. Off the eyes of the public, a lot of people do not know he was a modest man who hated titles. He was just Bob and I remember we could get on a collision course whenever I called him Sir. He was a stickler for discipline and integrity and hated shortcuts. His memory will live on.”

Mathare United CEO Jecktone Obure, on his part, mourned his boss as a man who believed in inspiring others.

“For the 17 years that I have known the late Bob and worked for him, I could tell he was a people person. He literally impacted lives using mostly his resources. He was like a father figure to most of us and taught us values. A very passionate man about Football, Community and Environment. He always believed that to start something, you had to embrace it.

These are the lessons and certainly football in Kenya will never be the same without him. He revolutionized what we thought about football in so many ways and impacted people. He taught all of us the importance of giving back,” states Obure, who was previously a Finance Manager when he was hired in 2009.

Another condolence message that touched and spoke volumes came from Kenya Premier League CEO Jack Oguda, an MYSA product.

“Bob’s guidance and leadership instilled great confidence in us and it made us aspire to fly the MYSA flag even higher. In 1994, we shared with Bob our ambition of wanting to play in the KFF leagues and his belief in us and our dream inspired the formation of Mathare United Football Club.”

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“Bob saw a bright future in us and his high regard for our talent paid dividends four years later when we won the 1998 Moi Golden Cup final. That moment when I lifted the cup high above my head is etched in my memory as a testament to perseverance, dedication, and teamwork – values we held dear both on and off the field under the stewardship of Bob.”

“Together with diverse stakeholders, Bob worked tirelessly to elevate Kenyan football to new heights. The milestones are a testament to our collective efforts, demonstrating the power of teamwork, resilience, and unity in achieving shared goals.”

“We mourn the loss of a true legend and cherished father figure, whose wisdom, kindness, and impact will forever resonate in the lives he touched,” he shares.

 

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