by John Nene, sports producer, Nairobi, September 6 2005

Nairobi is a hub of sporting activity and hosts several international tournaments. Coupled with the packed local calendar, I am often spoilt for choice.

It’s generally an easy hop from one event to another, despite the traffic jams and notorious matatus (public transport mini-buses) with their reckless drivers.

Reporting sports for both the Swahili and English services can be taxing, especially when I’m under pressure. Sometimes I put an English word into my Swahili script or vice-versa.

Most Kenyan sportsmen and women and officials are media-friendly, although some are suspicious. Wrangles among sports administrators are commonplace and can turn nasty.

In-fighting

Alfred Sambu, chairman of the Kenya Football Federation (KFF), is facing opposition from within his executive committee, which has accused him of high-handedness.

Last month two officials opposed to Sambu were beaten up by thugs at the federation’s offices. A few days later Sambu was involved in a curious accident. He hit an electricity pole, breaking his leg. He suspected his enemies in the KFF may have had a hand in his misfortune.

With the in-fighting taking centre stage in football, the poorly organised premier league attracts few spectators. Most fans prefer watching the English premiership.

Athletics, Kenya’s most successful sport internationally, is not doing any better at major championships although performances at grand prix meetings and lucrative marathon races have been impressive.

With only one gold medal at the Helsinki world championships, people are asking what went wrong.

The sports minister says the only way is to reward achievers. Some athletes have decided to change nationality for monetary gain – something that has embarrassed the government.

The races

One of my most memorable assignments here was a horse racing package I did at Ngong racecourse. I interviewed the main characters, but what was missing was a scene of the notorious pick-pockets who steal from unsuspecting race goers.

As we drove back to the office, we bumped into the cops beating up a suspect. I told the driver to stop and rushed to the scene.

I cared less about the mean-looking cops and immediately started to record the poor soul absorbing kicks and blows as he kept on denying that he had snatched a purse from a woman.

Despite stiff competition from other FM stations, BBC radio still commands a dedicated following in Kenya, based on the feedback we receive. Some of the popular shows include World Today, Amka, Dira ya Dunia, Network Africa and Focus on Africa.

In the coastal town of Mombasa, it’s now becoming almost a ritual for listeners to assemble in the evenings to catch up with the one-hour Dira ya Dunia show as they sip black coffee.

The morale in the Nairobi office is now sky-high following the appointment of Gray Phombeah as bureau editor - the people’s choice. A prolific writer and a producer, he plans to lead his team to dizzy heights of achievement.

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