Before blasting the first whistle, Hosea Omondi observes a rare ritual of going on his knees for a short prayer and proceeds to summon the captains from either side to remind them all FIFA rules will be in play and to convey his best wishes in the game.It is a practice the whistler-cum evangelist adopted back in 2010 when he got born again and has been religiously practicing it even when the hostile crowds mock him while in their usual chants from the stands meant to intimidate him.Omondi laced his style of officiating with a spiritual touch when he hearkened to the call to mend his ways and proceeded to the Africa Bible College for his diploma in bible studies and his subsequent ordaining into evangelism.“Every referee has a way of preparing for a match. There are those who sing or like listening to music but I prefer to pray a lot before I leave for the stadium and before starting the match. I took this route when I got saved in 2010 and I have never looked back,” he said in his opening remarks.Out of his undying passion for sports, Omondi cut his teeth in refereeing in 2005, electing to take charge of low key but entertaining friendly matches and inter-estate tournaments in Nairobi, precisely Kibera area.His expertise in dispensing justice to teams and observing the rules sprouted and spread fast. Within a short time he was invited for a training course facilitated by former FIFA referee Gilbert Moore Titus (GMT) Ottieno the following year and passed the test and was given the powers to command in matches.As a budding referee, Omondi says he was always on Nasur Doka’s neck for advice and would from time to time sought wise counsel from Mike Mwangi, Maxim Ituru, Richard Obare and the current Football Kenya Federation NEC Women representative Margaret Omondi who by then were on top of their game.From the extensive knowledge tapped, Omondi polished his skills while habouring hopes of announcing his arrival in the top flight to share podiums with his mentors and carry the legacy after his seniors’ retire.The march to the top level however took an unexpected and a rather longer route as he spent a handful of years in the regionals awaiting his promotion to the other level. His long wait paid off in 2010 when Doka and Amos Ichingwa recommended his name to former FIFA accredited official Alfred Ndinya who had also heard of his qualities and elevated him to the division two league.“I began refereeing in 2005 albeit in the streets. I used to officiate in tournaments in the estates and in the streets. I did my courses the following year and passed but still remained in street football. However, through consulting the guys who by then were at their best, I managed to learn more and understand the best way to apply the rules. I badly wanted to officiate in the top flight but I faced several hurdles as the promotion criteria was not clear. I made it to the regionals in 2010 the year I was also thrown into division two,” he recounted.Prior to his promotion, Omondi who also doubles up as a swimming instructor and a football coach was thrown in the deep end where he was selected to man the Jamhuri Day Cup final, an assignment he notes that he excelled leaving his bosses who watched the match from the pavilion impressed.Having cleared the most challenging barrier, Omondi who is among officials whose credentials are awaiting ratification by FIFA and have the luxury of the elite badge began scenting top flight football from far as he was introduced to the division one stage and was later elevated to the National Super League in 2012.The path to the crème de la crème appeared clear but he recounts that he failed the Physical Endurance Tests (PET) conducted suggested to a pool of referees who had been earmarked for promotion to the big stage although he suspects unfairness in the exercise conducted at Kasarani Stadium.He narrated that the failure to make to the few who were selected and ushered to the next stage nearly crashed his dream of becoming a top referee but he was determined to carry on and stayed in the second tier for another two seasons.Fortunes swung into Omondi’s favour the following year after he earned the nod to officiate premier league matches after FKF and the league body approved his promotion.“I have faced a host of challenges and frustrations in my journey to the premier league but I am happy that I made it. 2013 has a special place in my heart as it is the year I was certain of promotion but I ended up failing in the PET. I did my best but the exercise was marred with unfairness but I did not lose hope. I finally got the nod in 2015 after years of wait, prayers and hard work,” said Omondi who considers the Awendo Green Stadium as the stadium he has faced intimidation and hostility. JOURNEY TO EVANGELISMOmondi recalls that he surrendered his life to Christ in 2010 and later got the calling to spread the gospel in the same year. He revealed that his parents are revered leaders in the church and the calling did not come as a surprise to him.He says when the voice from above reached him, he descended for prayers and shared the news with his family and would get sponsorship to the Africa Bible College for his theology classes which were to last for three years but squeezed time on weekends and booked for longer lectures and managed to finish the course within one and half years. He graduated in 2012.While taking his studies, Omondi would also honour appointments to officiate matches thus limiting his free time but he was set to kill two birds with one stone.Upon graduation, Omondi was ordained by the pastor in charge at CITAM Kibera and was released to spread the gospel as an evangelist.The official who draws inspiration from celebrated Italian referee Pierluigi Colina says throughout the years, the skills he gained while taking his Bible studies have always come in handy in making fair calls and turning his back on suggestions to favor one side.“Besides being a referee, I work as an evangelist at CITAM Kibera and I am hoping that I will be promoted to the rank of Pastor at some point. I am a certified evangelist who was called and underwent training and works under the counsel of wise men. The training from Bible school has been helping me on the pitch to make fair calls and even caution players on unsportsmanlike conduct,” he said.Teams or players often clash on the pitch whenever a career threatening tackle or officials make unfair and blatant calls. Omondi says he sticks to the laws of the game and is never afraid of punishing those flout the law even if it means unapologetically dishing red cards. He however admits that he preaches forgiveness whenever players clash.“Whenever players clash on the pitch, I always calm the situation and preach forgiveness after the storm is over. I am always happy when I hear teams referring to me as pastor and embrace my style of officiating. I am never afraid of making any call so long as a player or a coach has made a mistake. I forgive after the final whistle and leave the pitch with a clean heart,” he said.BioName-Hosea OmondiDate of birth 21/03/1977Place of Birth-NairobiKibera Primary School- (1984-1993)St savior (1994) and RGS (1995-1997)Malezi college (2004-2006)Favourite dish- Ugali, Fish and kienyejiBest club in the EPL-Manchester unitedRole models-Pierluigi Colina and Aden Marwa (Referees)Myles Munroe (Preacher)Weight- 58kgsHeight- 1:54
