Harambee Stars players(Photo/www.narobinews.nation.co.ke)
Kenyans may not hear of Harambee Stars again in the event a football fan’s petition to have the national football team’s name scrapped.
Mr. Philip Chebunet argues that the name was part of the misfortunes that have stood on the way for the Kenyan team that now ranks 114 under FIFA’s rankings.
On Friday, Mr. Chebunet petitioned the national assembly to have the national team given a new name and feels it was even affecting the starlets. He said Kenneth Matiba just picked on the name without so many considerations in 1976 and since then, no good results had come its way.
“Harambee stars have a name that does not give zeal. The name Harambee itself has been rejected and associated with national ills as corruption. No one wants to even wear the team jazzy,” says Mr Chebunet.
Mr Chebunet noted that coincidentally while presenting his petition to parliament on Thursday, the team dropped in FIFA rankings from 111 to 114 and believes his plea would be taken up by legislators.
The petition has sparked debate among Kenyans with many wondering which other name would best fit the team. A number pointed out to the fact that lack of proper infrastructure and the political goodwill to support football in the country is to blame and not a name tag.
Harambee stars have five times played in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and had not registered much impressive results for the country.
The petitioner’s plea to have the team given a new a new name is pegged to the argument that teams such as Nigeria had changed its identity from Green Eagles to Super Eagles and the rebranding had seen them qualifying to play at world cup five times.
The name Harambee is said to have been incepted during the colonial days when lions attacked builders of the Kenya-Uganda railway and its syllables were part of how the builders psyched themselves up for self-defense.