Nairobi gubernatorial hopeful Agnes Kagure is taking a unique and practical approach to addressing youth challenges by using sports as a tool to transform lives in the city’s low-income neighborhoods.
Her recent statement posted on Facebook summed up her vision clearly: “Sports doesn’t just build champions. It builds character and opens doors of opportunities.”
Kagure believes that sports can be a powerful engine for change, especially when young people are provided with safe spaces and meaningful support. “By investing in local sports initiatives, especially in our low-income areas, I’m leading the way in creating safe spaces for our youth to dream bigger, act bolder, and rise higher,” she added.
Recent sporting activities sponsored by Agnes Kagure, Photo courtesy/Facebook/Agnes Kagure.
This message came just after the Saturday evening Jacaranda Bunge FC game, an event Kagure personally supported as part of a broader plan to engage Nairobi’s youth directly in their own communities.
The initiative included distributing branded jerseys and bringing together youth from different backgrounds to play, interact, and bond over football. Such activities do more than provide entertainment they offer a break from the hardships of daily life and give young people something to look forward to. Kagure’s promise that “we are coming right to your estate, and with goodies” highlights her plan to scale up the initiative and make it accessible in as many neighborhoods as possible.
The impact of such local sports programs goes beyond the field. They promote physical health by keeping young people active and reduce risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle, like obesity and related illnesses. But more importantly, sports also improve mental health.
They give youth a sense of identity, purpose, and belonging things that are often missing in disadvantaged communities. The social skills learned on the pitch, like teamwork, discipline, communication, and leadership, translate into real-world benefits that can change a young person’s entire path.
Kagure’s initiative arrives at a time when youth in Nairobi face rising unemployment, increased exposure to drugs and crime, and limited educational opportunities.
By focusing on sports, she is not just keeping the youth busy she is opening a door to self-confidence and growth. Her presence at the Jacaranda Bunge FC game, alongside the online excitement it created, shows that this is not just talk. There is real engagement, real delivery, and real hope.
What sets Kagure’s efforts apart is her deliberate focus on inclusion. Most sports programs in Nairobi remain inaccessible to youth in informal settlements due to lack of facilities, high costs, or lack of parental support.
By taking the game directly to estates and covering the costs of jerseys and organizing the matches, Kagure is removing these barriers and giving everyone a fair chance.
Her approach reflects an understanding that transformation doesn’t have to start with big stadiums or expensive equipment. It can begin with a ball, a field, and a group of eager young people.
The vision is to reach more estates, energize more youth, and let them know that someone sees them, believes in them, and is willing to invest in their future. And if the Jacaranda event is anything to go by, this strategy is working.
Agnes Kagure’s leadership through sports is not only winning hearts but also creating practical solutions. By centering youth and bringing programs to their doorstep, she’s proving that real change can happen from the ground up.
In a city that often overlooks its younger population, Kagure’s sports initiative stands out as a bold, smart, and compassionate way to transform Nairobi one estate at a time.
