How Timonah betrayed his Ingwe roots

In 1984, a young player from Uthiru was really interested in joining AFC Leopards’. His elder brother Enock Obwaka had committed the ultimate betrayal by joining Gor Mahia earlier.

The Obwaka’s are Luhya’s from around Musanda on the border of Siaya and Kakamega counties. He thought of righting his brother’s wrong of forfeiting the Luhya supported club for a Luo backed club.

William Obwaka believed he was good enough to command a spot in the team. When he went to AFC Leopards’ then coached by Ugandan Robert Kiberu. The technical bench ruled that he was so young and lanky to make it in the Kenyan Super League. Meanwhile, he was a medical student at University of Nairobi.

He chose to go to Gor Mahia and kick the ball with his brother. Gor were impressed and signed him for 1985 season. Obwaka went on inflict great pain on AFC Leopards’ by scoring the goals that helped Gor beat AFC Leopards’ in Sudan to win the 1985 CECAFA title.

One would think that people learn from history yet history teaches us that people never learn from history. Come 2012, and a young football player who had left Aspire Academy in Qatar sauntered into the streets of Nairobi. His family did not know that he was back in the country.

He called a few of his friends and landed in the hands of Stanley Okumbi at Mathare United. It was in the middle of the season, but Mathare did not need a new signing.

He contacted his cousin Mike Baraza, who was playing for Leopards’. Baraza organised for a mini trial at the club then under Jan Koops aka Wepukhulu. His conclusion was that he is still too young he can wait until next season to join. He went back home for a few days. That is when goalkeeping coach Abdul Iddi sent him fare and asked him to go to Gor Mahia.

That is how Timonah Joseph Wanyonyi left the comfort of Qatar football for the pendulum swing of Kenyan football. At Gor Mahia, Bobby Ogolla was handling the training that day and when he saw Wanyonyi’s first touch he was impressed. He knew that the first touch differentiates a good footballer from a very good footballer.

Gor Mahia then had players like Ivan Anguyo, Danny Sserunkuma, Moses Odhiambo, Ivo Mapunda and Jerry Onyango. In that session, he took the ball from Anguyo for a free kick which he sent over the wall and into the net past Tanzania goalkeeper Ivo Mapunda. He was sent to a hotel and promised that he will be signed.

Just like Gor Mahia snatched Leopards’ reject Obwaka in 1984, they got the signature of Wanyonyi for one year. Bob Williamson would join the club and keep him on the bench for the first five matches. The young lad grew restless and asked for match time but none was coming. When he was left out of the second leg derby against AFC Leopards’, he walked out of Kasarani.

Ogolla was tasked with working with him on the sidelines. During the international break Williamson organised a friendly match with Nakumatt to keep the remaining boys busy. In that friendly Wanyonyi scored Gor’s two goals and Williamson promised him ten minutes in the next match.

That he got against Chemelil Sugar. His first move he made with the ball led to cross that Danny Sserunkuma headed into the net for his second of the match. He had a good show in terms of ball handling and general match awareness. Gor Mahia fans would christen him “Jehovah Wanyonyi” after a spiritual leader from Western Kenya who claimed to be God.

He did not let the ten minutes go and he made the right wing his from that day. The squad had to be reorganised for the new kid on the block. Gor Mahia would go on to win their first title after 19 years. Wanyonyi is on record as part of that squad. He would stay until 2014 and win another title with Gor Mahia.

In his first derby in 2013-14 season, he scored against AFC Leopards’ just for bragging rights against his dad. It was a also a good pain to inflict on a club that turned him down. Things looked good for the lad and he even got a call up to the national team. At the end of the season, his father pressurised him to jump ship and join AFC Leopards’.

Gor Mahia could not match his demands for a new contract. He would join AFC Leopards’ where he found a club in disarray. He made a mistake William Obwaka did not make by signing for Leopards’ too soon. I believe Gor gave him a conducive environment to take a break and concentrate on his studies when needed. Wanyonyi’s career would enter a downward spiral that became difficult to rescue. As recently as last year, he was playing for Equity Bank.