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Kenyans woke up to the news of the death of the Wanyama family matriarch, Mildred Wanyama who is the mother of decorated football stars Victor Wanyama and McDonald Mariga.
Her death was announced by Mariga who revealed that she passed on peacefully on Saturday morning with plans underway for her final sendoff.
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved mother, who left us peacefully today morning. We are currently making arrangements and will share more details soon! Thank you. MM.
Married to a sportsman, Mildred gave the country some of its finest sportsmen and raised a family deeply-rooted in sports.
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Her husband Noah Wanyama played for AFC Leopards with the Wanyamas getting their inspiration from their father.
Mariga and Victor Wanyama are household names in Kenyan football who plied their trade internationally in Europe and America.
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Victor Wanyama
Mildred was also the mother of basketball star Mercy Wanyama who has represented the country internationally.
Her other sons are Thomas and Sylvester who equally made their mark in professional football.
Sports Management
She tried her hands in sports management and served as Kenya Netball Federation (KNF) president.
Her bid to defend the seat ended in a humbling loss which she accepted with grace after garnering 7 votes against Nyeri-based sports consultant Immaculate Wambui Kabutha who won the contest in 2018.
Strict disciplinarian who raised stars
A strict disciplinarian, Mildred values that set up her children for success from a very early age as Mariga recounted in a previous interview.
My parents are very strict when it comes to being discipline. That is the biggest part they played in our lives
The joy of a mother is watching her children succeed and Mildred Wanyama experienced this as her children defied the odds to excel in sports and other ventures.
Mariga and Wanyama are among Kenya’s most-decorated players, with the former making history as the first Kenyan to play in the UEFA Champion’s league final while playing for Italian giants, Inter Milan.
The transformation
The success of her sons who plied their trade in Europe and America, earning millions saw Mildred’s life transformed significantly.
She relocated from the noisy and dusty Muthurwa estate where coming across raw sewage was not uncommon to the leafy suburbs of Lavington where her sons bought her a home.
The family’s rise from rags to riches was immortalized in a sports documentary made by two Danish filmmakers Emil Morell and Andreas Johansen.
Titled More than Brothers, the documentary pieced together Mariga and Wanyama’s journey from humble beginnings powered by talent, discipline and ambition to attaining success.