Deputy President William Ruto has asked the new managers of football in Kenya to transform the sport and give ‘Kenya back its glamour’.
The DP called on the new team elected to run affairs at Football Kenya Federation to be transparent and accountable in the management of football in the country.
“We must allow football back to its old days, when Kenyans loved the sport, when players played for the love of the sport and when Kenyans went to watch games,” said Ruto.
While praising the election of the new team led by President Nick Mwendwa, Ruto said, Kenyans expect to see change in the sport.
He said proper management of football in the country would transform the lives of many youths.
“The people demand the newly elected officials to exercise transparency, accountability and the highest level of integrity in the management of football for the sake of the children,” he said.
The Deputy President called on the federation officials to realign their constitution with the new Sports Act.
He said the youth must demand results from the new management now that football was in the hands of a youthful leader.
Ruto said the new FKF President has the onerous duty to renew FKF ties with the Government and Fifa.
He added: “Next week, Fifa gets a new President. FKF and Fifa are beginning new eras of transparency and goodwill. Our doors in Government are open to the two new presidents of football.”
Ruto made the remarks during the launch of Chevrolet and One World Play Project at the Safaricom Stadium, Kasarani, Nairobi.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario, Sports Principal Secretary Richard Ekai, General Motors East Africa managing director Rita Kavashe, One World Play Project coordinator Rita Cress, Sports Kenya chairman Fred Muteti and students attended the event.
Ruto asked Mwendwa to run the federation with the highest level of integrity for the sake of Kenyan children.
Kenya, he added, is a dominant country in many sports—athletics, rugby and recently Javelin—but the game in the hearts of all is football.
“We must make it a success and initiatives like this are a big step towards the goal.”
Ruto said the Government has set a side Sh500 Million for the establishment of an Anti-Doping Agency to deal with rising doping issues ahead of the Olympics.
At the same time, Deputy President called for partnership between the Government, FKF and the private sector to improve the standards of sports in the country.
Mwendwa pledged to transform the management of football in the country. He said the country needs huge changes in the sports sector for its success.
“I want to promise the children of Kenya a new beginning”, said the newly elected FKF President. Wario said sports equipment should be given tax weavers to encourage the growth of sports in the country.