The Kenyan sports fraternity is in mourning, yet again. The grim reaper has taken yet another sports legend – former Harambee Stars Defender Zablom Amanaka.
Amanaka’s death came hardly one week after former rugby player and coach Benjamin Ayimba died after a long illness. What is striking is the fact that both the stars died aged 45 years. Ayimba was born in 1976, and so was Amanaka (1 January 1976) – and both died in May, 2021 – just a few days apart.
Indeed the month of May has not been a good month for the Kenyan sports family after suffering double loss brought about by the cold hands of death.
It is sad that most sportsmen and women have died in squalor, even those who helped put the country’s name on the world map.
A few weeks before his passing, Ayimba’s family sought the help of Kenyans of goodwill to help raise nearly Ksh 3 million hospital bill.
President Uhuru Kenyatta donated Ksh1 million after Kenya Rugby Union issued a statement on Ayimba’s health.
As it stands, the family needs Sh2.7 million to offset outstanding hospital bills and funeral expenses respectively.
“The Ayimba family wants to take this opportunity and thank the public led by President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga for having helped raise the required amount Ayimba’s medical bills at Avenue Health Care where he was initially admitted a total of over 2.3 million was raised,” Unfortunately, we have come down to this, but it’s the will of God,” said the family.
Family and friends are expected to meet each and every Tuesday and Friday from 5.30pm at the YMCA in South C for the funeral arrangements.
As Kenyans were coming to terms with the loss of Aymba, the ruthless hand of death struck again – in the same month of May – this time striking the football family.
Zablom Amanaka was found dead in his house in Mwiki on May 28.
A number of Kenyans shared their messages of condolences led by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF).
“We join the Kenyan football fraternity in mourning the death of former Harambee Stars defender Zablon Amanaka,” wrote FKF in a statement on social media.
In October 2020, Amanaka opened up on painful life struggles, poverty and neglect that he has suffered. He said at the time that he was barely surviving; living from hand-to-mouth. Amanaka opened up about life after retiring from football, his struggles that had seen him turn to manual jobs to survive – and now, he is dead, barely eight months since his story was covered in the media.