Sports Bill - Let's Get Kenyan Sport started

After a 10-year heart-wrenching and sometimes frustrating journey, Kenyan sport will finally get its biggest shot in the arm. As the 10th Parliament prepares to end its stay, the one thing the Kenyan sports fraternity will be grateful for is their passing of the Sports Bill ( it awaits Presidential assent to become law as early as March 2013).

Kenya 50 years on - courtesy of www.1500questions.org

At least our lamentations to our Minister one Ababu Namwamba seems to have borne fruit and history will judge him accordingly.
The Sports Bill had a number of proposals which will among others ensure Kenyan sport changes and is run more professionally as well as addressing the revenue issues which plague majority of the sports bodies.


Check this out;

• establishment of Sports Kenya Development Authority ( mandated to oversee all sports activities, promote, co-ordinate and implement sports programs and manage sports assets and facilities countrywide among others);
• establishment of a National Sport Fund ( to raise and manage funds for sports authority as well as advise sports federations on appropriate financial grants among others);
• establishment of  a National Sports Institute ( to manage sports training facilities, promote research and development, check on current sporting trends and recommend appropriate practices to sports federations);
• registration and regulation of sports organisations and licensing ( creation of Registrar of Sports organisations, licensing of sports bodies - federation, club or otherwise, inspection of financial records and books among others)

Once the Bill is signed into law, existing sports bodies will have to register afresh and in some cases might have to elect new officials for fresh mandate. This has surely not gone down well with many of the current sports officials. The Bill also prescribes regular monitoring and evaluation of sports bodies through annual reports and returns to the Registrar.

It also offers the Secretary of Sport ( equivalent to the current Minister) to intervene and dissolve a sports body in case of disputes or mismanagement. This again has caused discomfort with some of the federations such as Football Kenya Federation which believe they're beyond any national government interference ( as FIFA honchos have always made national federations feel above the law).
The law has addressed the perennial headache of fund-raising which shall be taken care of by the Sports Fund. This will ensure future national and international representation will have sufficient funds to participate in events and also federations running their affairs smoothly.

But we in Kenyan sport should remain vigilant and ensure that the Sports Law is not just another clause in the Kenyan laws. Just like our legislators, most of the sports officials without interest in the development and growth of sport will fight back and stifle these developments. Law experts tell us that the law doesn't operate in a vacuum and isn't cast in stone - it is in the interests of all those involved to safeguard against its abuse. ( We know that a number of sports bodies campaigned for the removal of the clause limiting the terms of office for sports officials).

As the country marks the golden anniversary and in its over 60 years legacy in international participation in sport, the legislation will pave way for added investment and interest in Kenyan sport. It will ensure professionalism in running sports bodies and see that sport is firmly grounded in case of indiscipline.

Notice is served to all you charlatans running sport! Just like our outgoing MPs, start packing your bags too!

'Useless' Kenya Facts:
The 10th Parliament had quite a number of MPs who have either been sports personalities or managed sports organisations in one capacity or the other. Here are a few noteworthy ones;

1. Peter Kenneth (MP for Gatanga) - served as Chairman for Kenya Football Federation 1996 -2000( now Federation of Kenyan Football...semantics), played for now-defunct Re-Union as goalkeeper,
2. Alfred Khangati (MP for Kanduyi )- served as Chairman Kenya Volleyball Federation in the 1990s and
3. Dr. Sam Ongeri (MP for Nyaribari Masaba)- served as Chairman for Athletics Kenya 1974-84, 
4. Chris Obure (MP for Bobasi) - played for Gor Mahia in the 1970s ,
5. Elijah Lagat (MP for Emgwen) - former marathoner who won Boston (2000), Prague (1998) and Berlin (1997) marathons respectively,
6. John Harun Mwau ( MP for Kilome) - sharp-shooter who represented Kenya in the Olympics in 1968 and 1972 shooting category.

(...if anyone can recall any others, please help us note them)

Coca-Cola renaming Nyayo National Stadium - SSMB

After the initial botched move in 2009 when Coca-Cola East Africa had finalised a process of renaming the Nyayo National stadium, Sports Stadia Management Board - SSMB,will today make a formal announcement on the same naming process.
Since Nyayo National stadium is the second largest yet most strategic stadium, and also closest to Coca-Cola headquarters ( not that it counts...), it was only wise that SSMB to consider this venture. Though it had undergone repairs in 2010 to host the continental Africa Athletics championships,the venue has borne the burden of hosting a myriad of matches as well as national events which have heavily cost the playing surface.

Nyayo National Stadium - aerial view

The venue has also seen the worst incidences of hooliganism, thanks to over-the-top football fans. Some of its other facilities have also undergone disrepair at the basketball, handball, volleyball and swimming facilities.


This sponsorship by Coca-Cola EA will hope to have the funds to repair and spruce up the venue and its diverse choice of facilities. It will also hope to position itself as a suitable venue for various sporting events usually held here.

This is a bold move by SSMB and they can replicate the same in the other venues they have been mandated to repossess and run. They can approach corporate firms which would also work with local governments to rebuild sports venues. This can be facilitated through affordable infrastructure bonds which would mean medium to long-term investment in infrastructure.

It will also bode well for County governments to engage private developers to make suitable property developments within their respective centres to make them attractive and competitive.

For now, its another laudable move by Coca-Cola EA!