ERIC WAFULA
| AGE | 26 |
| GENDER | MALE |
| OCCUPATION | GOALKEEPER |
Kenyan footballer and former New Mathare Football Club goalkeeper Eric Wafula tragically lost his life in a mob justice incident in Pangani, Nairobi.
According to witnesses, the Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) product and his unidentified friend allegedly snatched a mobile phone from a pedestrian.
Members of the public soon caught up with them before they could escape, hitting them with sticks and heavy stones before lynching them.
Their bodies were taken to the Nairobi Funeral Home, where they were initially recorded as ‘unidentified bodies.’
Wafula was a rising star in Kenyan football who was known for his acrobatic saves and commanding presence in goal.
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He began his career with MYSA and earned a spot at New Mathare FC, a club in the Football Kenya Federation National Division Two Eastern Zone, before fading from the competitive scene.
Remarks on Eric
Abraham Barasa, a long-time family friend, said, “I can tell you the mother loved him so much. She did everything possible to provide him with a better future. I’m sure wherever she is, she must be in so much pain.”
After completing high school, Wafula’s mother took out a loan to buy him a motorbike to support his livelihood.
Football enthusiast Mark Otieno shared, “He honed his skills with MYSA and earned a spot at New Mathare FC. I never understood why he left the club, but later saw him playing for smaller teams in Mathare 4A. Eventually, he vanished from the football scene, and for the rest of us fans, life moved on.”
Most individuals familiar with the football field at Mathare 4A remember Wafula receiving several medals earned for his commitment on the field.
Kenyan Athletes in Crime
Wafula’s death has sparked renewed discussion about the challenges faced by Kenyan athletes, particularly the potential links between unfulfilled potential in sports and involvement in crime.
Tedium Rodgers (Condemned)
Tedium Rodgers was a Harambee Stars and Mathare United player when he was arrested for possession of stolen goods alongside two accomplices.
“It was a case of robbery. At that time, I was frustrated. I was laid off due to injury, yet I had a young family, house bills and many other responsibilities.”
“That pressure and the company I was keeping at the time led me to crime,” Tedium said in a past interview.
After a 7-year trial, his two accomplices were freed while Tedium was condemned to death at the Kamiti Maximum Prison.
Moses Wafula (Condemned)
Starting his football career at Sawagongo High School, Moses Wafula was a household name in Kenya in the early 2000s.
He played for AFC Leopards, Rivertex and Sha Karuturi before becoming Nicky Weche’s assistant coach at AFC Leopards.
“I have found myself here (in Kamiti Maximum Prison) because of associating with bad company. I had to find a means to cater for myself.”
Erick Salim (Condemned)
As a very promising footballer from Ofafa Jericho, most Kenyan football fans anticipated Salim’s rise to stardom after a sponsored trip to play football in Norway.
In a shocking turn of events, Salim chose to turn down the offer and turned to crime in Nairobi.
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“I started crime when I was around 14 years old. I could see my friends living the good life, wearing expensive clothes, and partying daily. Since I was from the ghetto and my parents did not have money, I felt bad. The pressure led me to start skipping school to commit crime and I lost my chance to go to Norway.”
Words from the football fraternity
“We had the chance and failed to utilise it; those who waited are now reaping the benefits. You will never receive any award for being a crime champion, but you can be awarded for being a good midfielder. All youths should just stop crime,” incarcerated ex-Thika United player Swaib Swaleh remarked.
Football administrator Dan Shikanda also expressed his thoughts on players opting to crime, saying, “Nairobi is a time bomb. Unemployment and poverty are a serious time bomb, which when it ticks, nobody will be safe.”
“The players who are in prison right now are very talented players. Those who watched players like Tedium Rodgers play know that he was a very skilful winger. When he was arrested, we were shocked,” Former Harambee Stars and Mathare United Head Coach Francis Kimanzi stated.
“Many of the sports facilities in the slums are inaccessible. Most can’t be used due to their expensiveness. The leadership we have is not guiding these players, and the situation is ‘everyone for themselves, God for us all,” he added.
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