Erick 'Marcelo' Ouma on troubles bedevilling fallen giants Kakamega High School
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Reading Time: 4min | Sat. 21.03.26. | 20:46
After their national triumph in 2018, the team has struggled to return to the national level, often facing elimination at the county stage in talent-rich Kakamega County or resorting to appeals in a bid to find a way through
Harambee Stars defender Erick 'Marcelo' Ouma has candidly discussed the problems bedevilling his former side, Kakamega High School's Green Commandos.
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The Green Commandos have produced a plethora of talent over the decades in Kenyan football, and often, youth coaches prefer a journey to Western Kenya to scout at the institution renowned as a hotbed of talent.
One particular class that still holds its shoulders high among the thousands of the institution's alumni, formerly known as Government African School Kakamega (GASK), is the class of 2014.
They defeated an equally talented Kisumu Day High School to win the national school games football title at a fully packed Bukhungu Stadium, and all but one player from that class have gone on to establish a solid career in the top flight.
Among the high flyers are Erick Ouma and Joseph Okumu, who are now plying their trade in European leagues.
However, in recent years, the school’s performance at the national level and also in the league has plummeted.
After their national triumph in 2018, the team has struggled to return to the national level, often facing elimination at the county stage in talent-rich Kakamega County or resorting to appeals in a bid to find a way through.
The poor performances have also followed the team that plays in the league, which has seen them relegated from the National Super League (NSL) to the third tier before suffering further demotion to FKF Division Two last year.
This has not sat well with Ouma, who has frequently been seen trying all he can to support the players and see Commandos back at the top.
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However, speaking in a podcast with The Buzz, the former AIK player said the problems at Green Commandos are deep-rooted and claimed there is cartel-like behaviour eating up the team.
“I love Kakamega so much, not that I hate them, but my aim is to make players feel better. I am not interested in Kakamega's finances or anything, but to be honest, that place is in total chaos,” he explained.
The former Gor Mahia defender noted that the conditions and culture around the team make it hard for players to secure moves even when clubs show interest.
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“There was a time they fundraised to build a field. What happened? That money just vanished. There are always individuals in between. The principal is not the problem, but some people around.
When a player wants to be signed, there is always someone refusing to release the letter so that money can go into his pocket. I do not even know the position he holds,” he said.
Ouma further claimed that the same individual has been issuing contracts to young players joining at the Junior Secondary School level.
“When young players join, he calls meetings with parents and gives them contracts to sign. Some parents do not understand what they are signing, and some players do not even know they are under contract,” he added.
For beginners, Kakamega High School has three teams with more than 60 players under their care. The players are divided across Junior Secondary School level, the main school team and Team B, with the side in the league also drawing from the same pool since the 2024/2025 season.
The former KS Kastrioti defender cited a recent case where intervention was needed to allow a player to complete a transfer to a top-tier side after the said rogue official refused to release the player.
“Recently, there was a boy who got a deal with Mara Sugar, but the release letter was delayed. We had to make calls for the boy to be released,” he said.
In the recently concluded FKF Premier League transfer window, Ibrahim Ochieng joined Mara Sugar from Green Commandos.
The Raków Częstochowa defender also raised concerns over how allowances for youth internationals are handled, referencing the recent Kenya U17 CECAFA Championship trip to Ethiopia.
“These boys went to the Under-17 national team and got some allowances. Then you hear someone asking them why they did not give out his account number for the money to pass through him before reaching their parents. That is not right, this is money meant for the players,” he said.
Ouma also pointed to the quality of equipment and kits as further evidence of mismanagement, claiming that support from alumni does not always reach the players.
“Check the jerseys, are they the same quality as what we used to wear? There is someone given tenders for everything, and the equipment is poor, yet money is there. Old boys are always giving support, but it never gets to the players,” he noted.
He concluded by explaining why he has shifted his support to Shanderema Secondary School.
“I have advised them to change, but now we have seen it is better to support Shanderema because it is a team willing to learn.
We want to make sure the players enjoy, because when they are happy, they can move to top sides,” concluded the Rakow defender.