There are times when the world of sports delivers not just thrilling victories but also moments of shared grief and collective remembrance. Today, Kenya finds itself swept by both, as the Kenyan football community comes together to celebrate the life of AFC Leopards legend Patrick Shilasi and to mourn the passing of Mildred Wanyama, matriarch of one of the nation’s most respected sporting families.
Remembering Patrick Shilasi — a hero of the beautiful game
The hills of Kakamega echoed with heartfelt tributes as Patrick Shilasi, fondly known as “Omar Bongo,” was laid to rest in Burimbuli village. At 67, Shilasi’s journey came to a close after a battle with heart complications, but the legacy he crafted on the pitch remains indelible. Rarely in Kenyan football has one player’s influence radiated through generations quite like Shilasi’s. His story is woven into the very fabric of AFC Leopards, a club he helped bring to continental prominence in the 1980s.
Shilasi was more than just a left-back—he was the pulsing energy behind Ingwe’s golden era. The packed burial ceremony was testament to his reach, drawing club legends, current stars, leaders like club patron Alex Muteshi and chairman Dan Shikanda, regional politicians, and a legion of loyal fans. Former stars Josephat ‘Controller’ Murila, Joe ‘JJ’ Masiga, Tony Lidonde, and Washington Muhanji stood side by side with mourners, united in grief and admiration.
A chapter in Kenyan football history
It is easy to list his club achievements—three consecutive Kenyan Premier League titles in 1982, 1983, and 1984, back-to-back Cecafa Club Championships, and a run to the African Cup Winners’ Cup semifinals. Yet, beyond the silverware, it’s the enduring spirit he imparted to AFC Leopards that truly resonates. Shilasi’s journey began at Kakamega High School’s famed Green Commandos and quickly evolved as coach Chris Makokha slotted him into the Leopards’ first team. He never looked back, helping secure ten major trophies for the club.
Memories of Shilasi’s robust play—his hard tackling, boundless stamina, and that uncanny resemblance to Gabonese president Omar Bongo—were celebrated by all who knew him. Each title and match won during his tenure became more than a victory; it was a symbol of local pride and national ambition.
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Mildred Wanyama — a mother’s embrace across Kenyan sports
Just as the football community honored a legend, it turned to comfort one of its most cherished sporting families. The passing of Mildred Wanyama marked the end of an era in Kenyan sports parenthood. She was more than the mother of Football Kenya Federation Vice President McDonald Mariga and former national team captain Victor Wanyama—Mildred was herself a force in athletics, a devoted netballer in the 1970s, and a groundbreaking administrator who led the Kenya Netball Federation from 2014 to 2018.
Her influence on Kenyan sports was multifaceted. Married to former AFC Leopards player Noah Wanyama, Mildred formed, together with him, an athletic dynasty rarely seen in the region. Their five children—Mariga, Victor, Thomas, and Sylvester, all footballers, along with their daughter, Mercy Wanyama, a basketball professional in Spain—carry the sporting torch passed down with love and passion.
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Mildred’s enduring legacy
Her death in the early hours of Saturday was shared by Mariga on X, with a simple, poignant message that resonated far beyond their family circle. Kenyan football fans and athletes from all disciplines offered condolences, recognizing not just the loss of a beloved mother but of a leading advocate for women’s participation in sports. Her presence on the side-lines of her children’s matches symbolized unwavering support—an embrace felt by her own and remembered by many.
- – Mildred was an accomplished netball player in her youth,
- – she broke barriers as a sports administrator for women’s netball,
- – and she nurtured five children, all becoming international or top-level athletes.
The reflective tone of Mariga’s announcement and the communal response underscore the way Mildred’s life touched the heart of Kenyan sports. Her ability to inspire, support, and champion family and country remains a beacon of what it truly means to be a sports parent.
How football in Kenya is shaped by personality and heritage
What binds the stories of Patrick Shilasi and Mildred Wanyama is not only their connection to AFC Leopards—the fertile ground of so many Kenyan football dreams—but their contribution to the human fabric of the sport. Shilasi’s defensive brilliance and leadership inspired Kakamega’s youth; Mildred’s lifelong dedication to nurturing talent reshaped the destiny of Kenyan athletics.
Football, often reduced to statistics and league tables, becomes something more through these stories. It is about the resilience of a player rising from a high school pitch to African semifinals; it is also about a mother’s cheers echoing from the stands, her pride carrying as much power as any cup lifted in victory.
Looking ahead — legacy as a compass
The departure of Patrick Shilasi and Mildred Wanyama leaves a pressing question: who are the custodians of legacy in Kenyan sport? For AFC Leopards, the challenge is not just to honor their past but to build from it. Club chairman Dan Shikanda’s rallying cry for visionary leaders at the upcoming elections is a call to reconnect with the golden era, to return to continental football, and to draw on the examples set by Shilasi and others.
For families across Kenya, Mildred’s example is both a comfort and an inspiration. Her blend of competitive tenacity and wholehearted support remains a blueprint for nurturing the next generation of sportswomen and men.
A time to mourn and to celebrate
The story of Kenyan football is written in more than goals and trophies. It is in the lives, both public and private, of those who give themselves wholly to the game and its community. Shilasi’s powerful tackles and Mildred’s compassionate cheering are threads in the same beautiful fabric—proof that the love for sports, in Kenya, is a family affair.
