Into the life of Isaac Juma,the passionate soccer fan

You have perhaps seen him perform his beautiful "potty" jigs in major soccer matches and any other popular sporting event. Isaac Juma Onyango is a famous Kenyan sports lover with a passion for soccer especially Harambee stars and AFC Leopards. This, he has exercised for decades with passion and oomph since 1980 when soccer was the talk of town in Kenya.

We sought to dig up more about his life as we unveil in this up-close interview with Juma who recently won the KPL chairman’s lifetime achievement award.

Juma a half cast of luo and luhya comes from Mumias in a village of Rukaya in Western Kenya where he grew up together with his brother and two sisters. Both of his parents are deceased.

He is married to two wives with whom he has been blessed to bring forth a huge lineage of 10 children, six with his first wife Christina Juma and 4 with his second wife Faridah Juma.Both families put up in Mumias far away from his Nakuru base where he works as a newspaper vendor.

“It is not easy being away from my families but then it is because of my work. My fanatical following of Kenyan soccer does not pay me anything and I have to work hard in selling newspapers so that I can manage to raise enough commission to care for my big family.” He says.

Despite his weekly support for AFC leopards whenever and wherever they take to the field, Juma receives no single coin in salary form but handouts from fellow fans who admire his passion.

“It is my love for AFC Leopards that drives my passion and energy; I do not get paid for the same not even a cent. My traveling is mostly supported by Molo line matatus whose management gives me free transport anytime I want to travel. I thank them a lot because they saw how I struggle to travel to and from Nairobi. I used to get stranded at the bus terminus either in Nakuru before the match or in Nairobi after the match in my printed costume because I could not raise the needed 200 shillings fare. It was a very painful experience.” He says.

As he recalls, this mostly happens especially after painful losses for his team as the officials always run away leaving him to the mercies of the fans and players.

“The officials sometimes are cruel to my support for the team, they always disappear shortly before the end of the match especially whenever we loose. It is not fair and I got used to them and gave up, nowadays I bring myself to the Stadia and leave on my own without caring about their existence but my love for the game and morale to the players.” He says.

Last week on 24th of November during the KPL FOYA awards ceremony, Juma was honored with a handsome cash reward of one hundred thousand shillings that accompanied the KPL chairman’s lifetime achievement award, a first for him after decades of  support to local soccer.

“I have never received such a large sum of money in my life. This is a great honor and I must thank the KPL officials and the chairman for picking on me. It gives me more energy to push on and more so a satisfaction that my passion and hearty support has not been in vain. I pray for better times ahead for our soccer.” He added.

The chairman’s award is purely a decision of the KPL chairman and was not subjected to any voting like all the other awards.

Juma’s is a lifetime commitment to love soccer and to support the local league with Harambee Stars, AFC Leopards and any other major sporting event held close up to his heart.