After not succeeding in his second attempt to enter political life, ex-Kenyan footballer McDonald Mariga, a former player in the Italian league and the UEFA Champions League, has won a brand ambassador position.
The 36-year-old is currently the face of Kenyan-owned sports and casino betting operator Betgr8.
The former Inter Milan and Harambee Stars footballer’s agreement with the betting company are still mostly unknown, but his image is prominently displayed in internet advertisements on websites all over the world.
The new position follows his failure to win the election as the Kibra MP in the elections of August 2022.
In a similar by-election held in 2019 after Ken Okoth’s sudden passing, he also came in last.
Mariga, the eldest sibling of Montreal Impact football player Victor Wanyama and a well-known close associate of President William Ruto, was not only passed over for the prestigious Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) position despite publicly applying for it and being nominated.
However, the legality and constitutionality of the President Ruto-created CAS positions are now being disputed in court.
Statistics show that McDonald Mariga, a retired football player, was among the best in East Africa.
He has represented some of the top football teams in the world, such as Spain’s Real Sociedad and Italy’s Inter Milan.
He spent time with Inter Milan under renowned coach Jose Mourinho, where he won the Italian League and the UEFA Champions League.
He stopped playing football in 2019 due to bothersome ailments and transitioned to politics, although his attempts to campaign have been ineffective thus far.
McDonald Mariga firmly believes that betting companies should invest in sports stars rather than influencers, which is the present trend.
Nairobi News quoted Mr Mariga as saying that this will encourage Kenyan athletes to aim for excellence rather than rewarding influencers with expensive trips and contracts in December 2022.
He is the older brother of Victor Wanyama, a talented Kenyan footballer who is making waves on European and international levels.
After helping to shape a role for the now-defunct Betin between 2018 and 2020 with TV star Joey Muthengi, Mariga is serving as a betting ambassador for a second time.
