Kenya: Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Sports et al, Ababu Namwamba hosted a sports federation stakeholders meeting in Nairobi. The main aim of the meeting was to assess the collective progress made thus far and charting a way forward.
The meeting brought together various federations including the Kenya Rugby Union, Football Kenya Federation, Athletics Kenya, Kenya Hockey, Kenya Motorsport Federation and the Kenya Basketball Federation, the Deaflympics federations, Mentally handicapped and Amputee federation among others.
The Cabinet Secretary called on the federations to align their request with the BETA agenda. heasked Further, he asked the federations to invest in talents at the grassroots level, especially the schools ecosystem.
“All leagues should have a youth development program. What is the future of sports without the youths?”
“If you do not have a talent development program, we will not support you. Come to government with a youth development program and we will support you,” he explained.
“The grassroots talents are the goose that lay the golden egg.”
There was a renewed energy in the Kenya Secondary School Sports Association (KSSSA) games because we deliberately and intentionally structured it to maximize talent identification and nurturing at that level. Your funding request must bring something to the table.
“It must be in line with the Government’s BETA agenda or #TalantaHela initiative, and if it lacks either of the above then we won’t hesitate to throw it out,” he added.
“If it takes a ban to clean your mess, then you will be banned. We will allow the ban because I have made it clear to international federations that sports in Kenya is big and important,” he said.
Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba stressed on the need for independence to avoid over reliance on the fund. Further, He reiterated his Ministry’s zero tolerance to corruption and bad governance.
“Stop being entirely dependent on the Sports Fund,” he said, “Please find other alternative sources of funding and in cases where Government has supported you.”
Ababu Namwamba further called on the federations to enhance government’s visibility upon being supported.
“We have also sacrificed something important to give you that money. Show us to the world. Let us do things differently because if you want something that you have never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done,” he concluded.
While stressing the need for proper and timely planning and communication from the federations, PS Eng. Peter Tum called on the need to consolidate certain federations to streamline their approach to sponsors and enhance strategic planning.
He reiterated the need for Federations to adhere to the Compliance Act to avoid lengthy court processes that hinder the growth of the game.
Echoing the PS’ sentiments on timely communication of events from the federations, the Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund (SASDF) Chairperson Lt. Gen. (Rtd.) Jackson Tuwei also acknowledged the significant strides made by the ministry thus far.
“We have successfully initiated and enhanced sports facilities. The fund has consistently provided financial support to teams, enabling them to compete at the highest levels. We are also committed to capacity building in the creative sector to foster growth and innovation,” he said.
On his part, CEO Nur Ibrahim pointed to the need to foster a collaborative environment that encourages meaningful discussions, noting that the fund was keen on addressing concerns, gathering feedback, and responding to the pertinent questions raised by different stakeholders.
“At the fund, we are upscaling our efforts to increase engagement with stakeholders to improve service delivery. Our doors remain open to all federations, and we implore on you to communicate your needs on time to avoid last minute exaggerated expenses,” he told the attendees.
The curtains of the meeting drew close with the stakeholders unanimously adopting a communique that will guide the operations of the federations going forward.