Bob Munro: Top 5 interesting facts about the deceased Mathare United founder

On Sunday, the football fraternity in Kenya mourned the loss of Bob Munro, a trailblazer whose contribution to the growth of the sport remains unparalleled.

Munro, who passed away at his home in Westlands after a long battle with illness, was widely celebrated for his passion, ingenuity, and resilience. Pulse Sports takes a look at five fascinating facts about the late football pioneer.

Born on September 1, 1942, in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, Bob Munro was affectionately known simply as “Bob” by friends and acquaintances.

In 1985, he moved to Kenya with his wife, Ingrid Munro, and their two Swedish daughters. Over the years living Nairobi Westlands area, he embraced Kenya as his home and raised three Kenyan sons, cementing his ties to the country both personally and professionally.

Munro founded the Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) in 1987, an initiative that aimed to use sports as a tool for social change among disadvantaged youth. Building on its success, he established Mathare United in 1994, a football team that quickly rose through the ranks to earn promotion to the Kenya Premier League in 1999. Through these initiatives, Munro not only nurtured talent but also created opportunities for countless young Kenyans. His decades of service was rewarded by President William Ruto during Kenya’s 60th Jamhuri Day celebrations as he was bestowed the prestigious Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS)

Munro’s fight against corruption in Kenyan football was legendary, and one story in particular captures his resourcefulness.

In 1998, while Mathare United was competing in the second tier, officiating had become notoriously corrupt. Munro and his team resorted to using a broken camera, strategically positioned to appear as though it was recording matches. This clever bluff successfully intimidated referees into making fairer decisions, proving Munro’s knack for outsmarting a flawed system.

In 2007, Munro faced a dramatic challenge when certain unscrupulous football officials attempted to orchestrate his deportation. These individuals were reportedly displeased by Munro’s unwavering stance against corruption.

However, the attempts to remove him from Kenya failed, and his legal status in the country was reaffirmed. This incident underscored the lengths to which Munro’s adversaries were willing to go to silence him—and his resilience in overcoming such obstacles.

Beyond the pitch, Munro was a gifted storyteller who documented his experiences and insights in thought-provoking writings.

One of his notable works, a paper titled Greed Versus Good Governance, delves into the pervasive corruption within Kenyan football and offers a compelling account of his efforts to reform the sport.