Newly appointed Sports Cabinet Secretary for Sports Ababu Namwamba has set his focus to complete all the projects he launched in 2012 during his short stint at the ministry under the Coalition Government.
He said he is committed to ensuring all facilities are completed.
Namwamba was speaking during the launch of Air Quality Sensor at the Eldoret’s Lobo Village in Uasin Gishu county and Nandi’s Eliud Kipchoge Sports Complex in the North Rift region.
He said he will revisit all the projects he launched in the region starting with the Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret and Kapsabet as well as making sure that Sports Act 2013 is fully adhered to by the federations.
“I have made my commitment to the county government of Uasin Gishu and Nandi together with the athletics fraternity that we are going to invest in these facilities.
"It is sad that nine or ten years down the line since I launched the Kipchoge stadiums in Eldoret and Kapsabet respectively, they have never been completed.
"We shall make it a priority for complete sports facilities across the region because this is a cradle of athletics prowess,” said the CS.
Besides the two facilities, he said he will oversee the completion of the Kericho Green Stadium among others.
“We are going to ensure that we invest in these facilities so that our athletes can train under good conditions right from the grassroots,” he added.
Commenting on the Sports Act 2013, he said: “I have made it clear that I am going to engage with sports federations so that we follow the law and also initiate a process to revise the sports statutes to be in line with Act.
"I have made clear that sports should run in line with the law and we must make sure the Sports Act is relevant and in sync, with the realities, of today's life," he added.
He also said that he wants to make sure the Sports Fund benefits sports.
Athletics Kenya (AK) President Jack Tuwei said they are the first federation to sign an agreement with the United Nations on Climate Change.
He said the Air quality sensors in the North Rift were timely as they plan to host the second edition of the World Cross country Tour in Eldoret.
“As a federation, we appreciate the collaboration of the international environmental institution in setting up the gadgets in different parts of the country.
" Today's setup brings to five the number of Air quality sensors erected in collaboration with AK and the sixth in the country. Today we have installed two—one in Eldoret and another in Kapsabet. This adds to the one at Moi International Sports Centre (MISC), Kasarani, Nyayo stadium, and Nakuru Athletics Club,” said Tuwei.
Tuwei said the data from the centers will help put up measures to control air pollution in sporting venues and ensure athletes compete in a clean environment.
