Disgruntled voices have recently accused Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba of napping on the job.
The dissenting voices are free to express their opinions, but Namwamba has done an exceptional job of bringing order to the local sports scene with a much more hands-on approach.
Within the short time he has been in office, the CS has spearheaded the revival of sports in the country under the much-touted Talanta Hela initiative.
The initiative is the outcome of a meticulously configured plan to afford Kenyan athletes a viable platform to monetise their activities/talents.
His ministry has rolled out a structured talent identification system aimed at scouting and nurturing raw gems from down in the grassroots.
This culminated in the country’s first national sports talent camp where 2000 players from different sports disciplines participated in the pilot program. Scouts from both local and international clubs were invited to tap into the massive pool of talent.
A few of Namwamba’s vociferous critics came out to lavish praise on the huge traction he gained in getting Kenya’s football back on track after a Fifa ban kept the country away from international competition for a whole year.
Namwamba prioritised Kenya’s readmission to the international stage and initiated successful talks with the world football governing body Fifa to restore normalcy in Kenyan football.
Kenyan teams and clubs returned to the international stage with Kakamega Homeboyz and Vihiga Queens setting the season in motion with convincing performances at the Caf Confederation Cup and the Cecafa Caf qualifier, respectively.
Namwamba also needs a pat on the back after going full throttle to clean up the mess that clogged the activities of local sports federations, whose operations were jolted by incessant wrangles.
Additionally, the CS stepped up and prevented World Athletics from banning the country for numerous anti-doping violations following a meeting with the organisation’s president Sebastian Coe at his Maktaba office.
Athletics is not the only sport in Kenya that has benefitted from his commitments. For the first time, Harambee Stars got an opportunity to travel overseas for a series of build-up matches against Iran in Tehran, as well as against Pakistan and Mauritius in Mauritius.
The national boxing team, Hit Squad, have attended all the major international tournaments including the men’s and women’s World Boxing Championships in India and Uzbekistan respectively.
The ministry worked extremely hard to facilitate the team’s smooth travel to Yauonde, Cameroon for the Africa Boxing Championships.
Namwamba is the first Kenyan minister to award legendary sports figures in the country, who had earlier been neglected by previous administrations.
The CS hosted the inaugural Cabinet Secretary’s Champions reception at the Safari Park Hotel where football teams were awarded cash tokens.
The Kenyan Premier League champions Gor Mahia were awarded Sh10m (Sh5m for winning the league and Sh5m paid towards their debt). FKF Cup winner Kakamega Homeboyz took home Sh5m.
The Women’s Premier League winners Vihiga Queens and Cup winners Ulinzi Starlets were awarded Sh5m.
National Super League champions Shabana FC and second-placed Murang’a Seal were also feted alongside all FKF Division One and Two winners. Additionally, all FKFPL teams and NSL teams are getting Sh500,000 each.
More recently, the CS took it upon himself to grace the KSSSA national finals at Bukhungu stadium in Kakamega as a show of support and commitment to the budding talents. Namwamba must be given enough time and space to do his work without distractions.
