- St Joseph’s Nyabigena High School teacher Simeon Ongaga has been promoted to Nyanza Region Referees’ Instructor by the Kenya Football Federation.
- The veteran referee traces his journey from improvised village football to becoming one of the region’s top referee trainers.
- He now plans to mentor young referees and promote sports talent development alongside academics.
Recently promoted to Nyanza Region Referees’ Instructor by the Kenya Football Federation (KFF), Simeon Ongaga says the recognition is not just a personal achievement but a reflection of the support he has received throughout his teaching and football journey.
“I am very grateful to the Kenya Football Federation for honouring me, but I owe it to my students, my school and the teaching fraternity whom I serve,” Ongaga said.
Ongaga is a Senior Teacher of English at St Joseph’s Nyabigena High School in Gucha South Sub-county and also serves as the Kisii County KUPPET Organising Secretary.
His love for football began at Omobera SDA Primary School, where he and his friends improvised footballs using polythene papers and banana or maize fibres.
The boys spent countless hours playing at school and on village fields during school holidays.
“In those days we gathered on the fields freely as village boys in South Mugirango,” he recalled.
Their passion for football sometimes came at a cost.
Instead of herding livestock, they would sneak away to play football, leaving crops exposed to grazing animals.
“We got punished in the evening by our parents for neglecting the farms. Some of us had to forego supper as a lesson to be responsible,” Ongaga recalled with a laugh.
Dreams delayed but not abandoned
When he joined Cardinal Otunga Mosocho for secondary education, Ongaga hoped to represent the school football team.
However, competition from more accomplished players meant he never earned a place in the squad.
Despite the disappointment, he remained an enthusiastic supporter.
“I kept on gathering fans to cheer our school team. We would carry whistles and plastic pipes to give moral support to the teams,” he said.
His dream of building a career in football was revived while studying at Kenyatta University.
After graduating and joining the teaching profession, he met James Wanyonyi, now Deputy Principal of Mobba Secondary School, who encouraged him to pursue football refereeing.
“I thank him for the encouragement and since then I have never turned and looked back. I have no dream of abandoning soccer as a referee,” Ongaga said.
The road to recognition
His refereeing career gained momentum during the KESSHA competitions at Nyachogochogo Secondary School in Nyamache Sub-county.
Although the team he accompanied lost, fellow games teachers encouraged him to travel to the Nyanza regional games to observe experienced referees and gain more exposure.
“Since then I decided to gather the mercies, blend them with determination and succeed in both soccer training and refereeing,” he said.
Since 2010, Ongaga has officiated football matches across the region, a journey that culminated in his recent promotion to Nyanza Region Referees’ Instructor by KFF.
Even with the promotion, he says his ambitions remain higher.
He hopes to one day become a world-class football referee.
Away from football, Ongaga says he enjoys fresh milk and maize, foods that remind him of his rural upbringing.
He also credits his family for supporting his demanding schedule.
“I am a parent with a lovely wife and children and I always find time for them. I don’t wait for weekends only; I am always there for them and they know,” he said.
Giving back to the next generation
Ongaga now wants to use his experience to inspire young people to pursue sports alongside academics.
He plans to establish school mentorship clinics across Gucha South and the wider Nyanza region during school holidays to identify talented learners and train them in football refereeing.
He also intends to partner with headteachers and games teachers to integrate referee training into co-curricular programmes, enabling learners to earn recognised certificates while still in school.
In addition, he plans to organise grassroots football tournaments in South Mugirango where young referees will officiate matches under the supervision of experienced officials.
Through his position in KUPPET, Ongaga hopes to advocate for greater support and exposure for teacher-referees so they can mentor learners more effectively.
“Football has taught me patience. As a teacher and now as an instructor, I will use the same values to guide the next generation,” he said.
By Enock Okong’o
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