By Phillip Orwa
Homabay residents were recently treated to humorous news when night runners demanded that they be recognised by the national government, and be registered just like other unions.
The union officials stormed Homabay stadium and laid bare their claims and gave reasons why they needed to be recognised.
The news left many residents inshock wondering what was transpiring.
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The night runners from Kamenya in Ndhiwa, Homabay County led by their union president demanded to be recognised and registered as a sports group.
“We need to be registered and recognised by the government. We do night running as a sport. We are not witches as some people claim,”said their leader.
“There are many sports that are registered by the Kenyan Government and we wonder why we as night runners can’t be recognised,” pleaded the chief night runner.
The union leader also travelled to Seme in Kombewa on Wednesday last week where he revealed to Crazy Monday that they were holding a stakeholders’ meeting to chart the way forward.
“Antiere seme Waromo gi jo tukwa ma moko mondo wa los chama wa ni mondo obed motegno (I am currently in Seme to meet with my members from this region and chart the way forward).
“Sirikal nyalo nwang’o sendi ka gijuogowa, organisation wa nigi jii karibu eluf abirio gi mia abich (if the government registers and taxes us they will get money because our organisation has about 7,500 members),” he said.
The night runners are also seeking to be officially recognised and be allowed to do their thing during the day as well. The association of night runners has a membership of about 7,500 people in the whole of Nyanza and is mostly dominated by people from Homa-bay, Nyando in Kisumu County and Siaya County.
Recently members of the association drawn from Homabay County complained that Homabay CID’s office had refused to give them certificate of good conduct.
“Jojuogi ringoga ka gin duk thirith, koro gidwa ni mondo giring ne ji kamano godiecheing (night runners usually perform their act purely naked. Do they want to do that during day time)?” posed Loryene Anyango, a Homabay Resident.
