Kenya’s most decorated football club, Gor Mahia FC, has officially announced the appointment of Eliud Owalo as its new club patron.
In a statement dated October 16, 2025, the club’s Executive Committee noted that following the demise of the veteran supporter and former patron, Raila Amollo Odinga, the deputy patron Eliud Owalo would assume the role of acting patron with immediate effect.
Later, on November 1, 2025, the club confirmed Owalo as the substantive patron — formalising his position at the helm of the club’s patronage structure.
Club chairman, Ambrose Rachier, through the club’s statement, said:“This is to formally notify the general public, the football fraternity in general and the Gor Mahia Football Club members in particular and Gor Mahia fans at large, that the club has confirmed the appointment of Hon Eliud Owalo … as the substantive club patron with effect from the first day of November 2025.”
Owalo is no stranger to Gor Mahia. Before this appointment he had served as deputy patron (from April 2025), and is a long‑time supporter, member and benefactor of the club.
From his unveiling as deputy patron in April, he laid out an ambitious blueprint:“My primary goal is to re‑engineer the operations of Gor Mahia FC and transform it into the largest and most successful football club in Africa.”
He also committed to infrastructure projects:“Within the shortest time possible, we facilitate the construction of a stadium for Gor Mahia football club, together with a clubhouse and other attendance facilities such as houses for the players and the technical bench.”
Furthermore, he pledged to establish a professional secretariat to streamline club operations and governance.
In his new role as patron, the expectation is that Owalo will carry forward that vision — offering leadership not merely symbolic, but operationally meaningful.
The transition comes at a critical juncture. Raila Odinga’s long association with Gor Mahia extended beyond mere patronage — he was a deeply connected figure within the club’s identity and culture. His passing left a vacuum that the club rightly sought to fill in a timely manner.
For fans and players, this appointment is more than ceremonial. It raises hopes of infrastructure, better welfare and international competitiveness.
Owalo’s past promises resonate deeply in this regard: securing land for a stadium, building housing for players, recruiting top‑tier talent and sharpening administrative systems.