Mathare United founder and chairman, Robert ‘Bob’ Munro, has passed away at the age of 82.Munro, who had been battling illness and has been in and out of hospital for the last six months, died on Sunday, January 19.The family announced his death in a short statement send to media houses.”The family of Robert Donald Munro would like to announce his death.My darling husband Bob, as he is affectionately referred to in Kenyan football circles, has been in and out of hospital for the last six months due to respiratory problems. A beloved father and grandfather, he breathed his last on Sunday, January 19, 2025 at his residence in Westlands, Nairobi. Further updates will be provided in due course. Ingrid Munro. “Munro established the Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) as a community development initiative in Nairobi’s slums.The organization became a global trailblazer in the movement for sport as a tool for development and peace.Relegated Mathare shed more light on sorry state of Kenyan footballIn October 2023, Mathare United sought assistance to cover Munro’s medical expenses.He underwent three surgeries at Aga Khan Hospital in October and November 2023 after facing severe health complications.Since then, Munro’s appearances in public, including on match days to support his beloved Mathare United, became increasingly rare.His last public appearance was on December 12, 2024, during Kenya’s 60th Jamhuri Day celebrations.On this occasion, President William Ruto honored him with the prestigious Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS), recognizing his decades of transformative contributions to Kenyan football and community development.Munro will be remembered as the driving force behind the Mathare Youth Sports Association and Mathare United.Ruto honours Bob Munro in Jamhuri Day celebrationsBorn on September 1, 1942, in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, Munro graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from McMaster University in 1966.He moved to Kenya in 1985 and dedicated his life to various global and local initiatives.Munro’s career highlights include serving as a United Nations Rapporteur for the first UN Conference on the Human Environment (UNCHE) in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1972.He was also a senior policy adviser for the 1987 World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), which prioritized sustainable development on global agendas.In the 1970s, Munro played a pivotal role in the creation and establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN-HABITAT in Nairobi.His expertise in sustainable development and environmental policy influenced governments and international agencies, especially across Africa.##NAJAVA_MECA_8646499##From 1993 to 1995, Munro served as a senior adviser to Kenya’s Ministry of Planning and National Development.He was instrumental in integrating environmental and equity issues into economic planning and strengthening Kenya’s environmental policies and institutions.In football, Munro was both an enigma and a controversial figure, known for his firm, principled stance.In July 2001, he accused Kenya Football Federation (KFF) deputy secretary Dan Murunga of illegally facilitating the transfer of Mathare United players Pascal Ochieng, Isaiah Omondi, and Simeon Mulama to Egypt’s Ismailia SC.When KFF dismissed the allegations, Munro escalated the matter to FIFA, which ultimately ruled in his favor. The transfers were deemed illegal, and KFF was left embarrassed.##NAJAVA_MECA_8646034##Munro also fought for compensation for the Slum Boys in the case of Dennis Oliech, who left the club for Qatar’s Al Arabi in 2003.With little support from KFF, he took the matter to FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber. The ruling required Mathare to be compensated for developing Oliech, setting a precedent in Kenyan football.Bob Munro awarded Canada’s highest civilian honourUnder Munro’s leadership, Mathare United achieved remarkable success, including winning the Kenya Premier League title in 2008 under coach Francis Kimanzi.
