Long-serving Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier has maintained his stance that he won’t seek re-election during the team’s elections that are slotted for either end of December 2019 or early January 2020.
Rachier, who has served as Gor chairman for more than a decade, clarified that he won’t be resigning as many quarters may be misled to believe but will leave the mantle to young officials to continue running the club.
“I won’t head Gor’s officialdom forever since I’m not growing any younger. It is true I must have overstayed in office since our constitution dictates that the chairman shall serve for a two-four year term. I want to leave the administration to persons who think they have better ideas to run the club,’’ he told People Sports yesterday.
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His achievements
To some people, however, it sounds paradoxical for Rachier not to seek re-election, even in another position, after overseeing Gor’s unprecedented 18 top tier league title last Saturday, thanks to a 1-1 draw with Posta Rangers.
Yet to others, the impending development is least surprising after Rachier made a sensational claim a few months ago that some of the club’s executive officials were demonstrating a holier-than-thou attitude, but are saboteurs who are out to wreck the club from within.
In a nutshell, Rachier said he will be leaving Kenya’s most successful club with his head high and spelled out some of his achievements including steering K’Ogalo to six league titles since he replaced Erastus Okul in 2006.
‘’In fact I would have presided over seven league titles at Gor had the team not been unfairly docked points in 2016 via a boardroom decision by football authorities. I’m yet to understand until now why Gor have been the only victims of such rough justice,’’ said Rachier.
Gor Mahia were docked three points for crowd trouble during their match against Tusker at Nyayo Stadium, with the latter going on to pip the Green Army to the title.
Rachier said that he will also not be bragging when he underlines other gains he has had with Gor which include seeking sponsors, improving the welfare of players and introduction of a sacco for economic empowerment of members.
Rachier, a lawyer, pointed out that he took it upon himself to solicit sponsorship from SportPesa and Tuzo and at the same time hinted that plans are already afoot for the latter to renew their goodwill towards the club.
‘’When I came on board, players were earning a pittance of as low as Sh 3,000 per month yet they had families to feed. The two sponsorships came as godsend and now the highest earning player takes home Sh 230,000 while the lowest takes in Sh 50,000,’’ he said.
Gor life member
Rachier goes further to add that he has been in the forefront of having Gor build its own stadium on the land donated by former President Daniel arap Moi and promised to secure a title deed to have this done before he vacates office.
‘’Building a stadium has been one of the top agendas by the club’s executive since I assumed office and I believe the issuance of a title deed will be done before the elections. I want to leave an endowment worth emulating by my successors,’’
Rachier, who reckoned that he will remain Gor’s life member even after leaving office, is a scholar in his own right.
