Courtesy Call by Former Footballer Mike Origi 04/06/2014

On 23 May 2014, H.E. Amb. Johnson Weru had a meeting with Mike Okoth Origi, a former Kenyan football international, who played for Harambee Stars and was the first Kenyan footballer to play professional football in Europe, turning out for a number of top clubs in Belgium from 1992 to 2005.  Mr. Origi is the father of Divock Origi, the new football sensation who has been picked by the Belgian national team for the 2014 World Cup.

Belgium has traditionally provided a ‘take-off’ base for a number of Kenyan football exports, including Dennis Oliech, MacDonald Mariga and Victor Wanyama. The Kenyan sporting community in general is an important part of the diaspora in Belgium and Luxembourg, and of the Kenyan Government's endeavours to develop, promote, preserve and disseminate Kenya’s diverse sports in order to build national pride and improve the livelihoods of its people. 

Amb. Weru and Mr. Origi  discussed ways to avail useful information to those keen on using Belgium as a station for a sporting career, and more particularly how Kenya and Origi junior engage for their mutual progress.