• The sector is still run based on personality, cartel like models and, focused on enriching the leaders rather that the sports people.
• It Is still run as an extractive industry with very little focus on talent search
Image: FILE
The enactment of a sports policy for the country seems unable to solve the unending challenges in this otherwise very potential sector.
We are still unable to consistently and professionally run the sector, which if well managed would have greatly improved the status of the youth of the country.
The sector is still run based on personality, cartel like models and, focused on enriching the leaders rather that the sports people.
It Is still run as an extractive industry with very little focus on talent search, nurturing and promotion of sports as a business, and source for direct foreign investment for the country.
The sports sector if well managed has a great potential to create employment for the youth and play a serious role in poverty reduction.
Our sports sector especially the various associations and events are marred with confusion, corruption, cartel like behavior which while not wrong, people seek leadership as a conduit to making more money or seek for political office.
For that reason, and given the popularity of sports in Kenya, many in the political arena use it as a means to seek votes from the youth than mean anything serious.
While in other countries sports is used to offer opportunities to the youth, and many use to get employment, income generation, academic scholarships, protect the youth from violent extremism and ideologies, environmental protection and staying healthy programs, in Kenya, sports rarely resembles a sector that can be helpful opening investment opportunities for the country.
While attempts have been made to mainstream sports in national development, especially those geared towards poverty reduction, much remains to be done to professionally manage the sector. Sports are a big business and industry in Kenya.
Even with the access to information Act and a sports fund under the Constituency Development Funds which provides for information disclosure, its been noted that one of the greatest weaknesses in the running of sports in the country is lack of information, secrecy and lack of accountability. The running of many of the sports associations and federations is marred in secrecy, their membership shrouded in secrecy while information on sources and expenditure is never shared publicly.
It is critical that sports policy, guided by article 35 of the Kenya Constitution 2010 that empowers members of the public to access, share and seek information on matters public so that we get to know where and how funds and resources meant for is handled.
One of the reasons we end up with unscrupulous people getting positions in sports management is the unclear membership and secrecy that surrounds the election processes in the respective associations.
It is only with opening up to public scrutiny that we will have accountability in the management of sports in the country. People must be empowered to understand what these associations stand for, their relationship with the government, how the funds generated are spent and what measures can members take in cases of misuse of funds. Elections in the associations must be transparent, democratic and participatory for sports to become meaningful to Kenyans.
The demand for accountability and transparency in sports management, just like in any other business- who are major partners in sports is unstoppable. The various sponsors in the sports sector should also demand for accountability including proactive information disclosures in their contracts with sports associations.
Given the popularity of sports and the elaborate sports policy, the strict implementation will see the sector relate and conduct joint sporting activities with bodies like the National Counter Terrorism Center, NACADA, Ministry of Forestry among others to use sports among the youth for interventions on drugs and substance abuse, violent extremism, gender equality, among other life saving skills.
Judie Kaberia of the Voice for Women and Girls Rights Project says there is a huge opportunity in suing sports to reduce the gender gap in the country, by seeking cultural good will at the community level and among the children through knowledge exchange, sensitization and role plays. But this cross working with other players is not possible if sports continues to be mismanaged.
“Sports provides a huge opportunity for bridging the gender gap in the country by way of creating networks and platforms for educating people on gender equity, while at the same time allowing showcasing of how we can overcome gender stereotypes by interchanging roles and consolidating the gains made in the protection and promotion of women and girl rights” Ms Kaberia, adds.
A number of unisex sports have allowed boys and girls to share platforms both in terms of planning, organizing, decision -making and sharing leadership. For example girls playing football has removed the thinking both men and women have specific roles that are exclusive to each other. Women referees officiating at men’s football, while normal and routine, in many ways change the stereotypes on women and men.
Sports can be used to mobile community support and youth participation in environmental protection including tree planting, creation of income generation activities and for attracting big investment in terms of sports advertising, talent search and infrastructure development.