The government of Kenya, through the Ministry of Sports, has launched a nationwide program to train basic education teachers to become certified coaches across multiple disciplines.
During the opening of a 10-day training for teachers at Murang’a Teachers College, Principal Secretary for Sports, Elijah Mwangi, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to developing sport as a career option. Over 200 teachers from primary, junior, and senior schools attended the training.
According to the Principal Secretary for Sports, the Kenya Academy of Sports (KAS), in collaboration with the school sports associations, will lead the program.
Training of the teachers will be on football, rugby, basketball, volleyball, hockey, handball, and chess to promote inclusivity and nationwide talent development, with successful athletes receiving awards and tokens for their efforts.
“In this Mount Kenya region, if you want volleyballers to go to a certain school and so on, why is it that today we don’t have that?” Elijah Mwangi questioned the sports development in the current education system.
According to Elijah, the lack of development in the sports sector is due to insufficient investment in sports within learning institutions.
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Kenya Academy of Sports’ stance on the Govt Training Initiative
Doreen Odhiambo, the CEO of the Kenya Academy of Sports, urged the public to bring any potential athletes to the academy’s attention.
Additionally, the public was asked by the CEO to forward names and videos of the athletes to the Kenya Academy of Sports for support, nurturing, and development of talents.
On the other hand, Thuo Chege, the chairman of the Kenya Academy of Sports, explained that sports is a legitimate career that requires investment, noting that through sports, people could make a living.
“I have seen the commitment to uplift sports persons. And it has now become a career. You can actually make money out of sports,” Thuo Chege, KAS chairman, stated at Murang’a Teachers College.
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Training for all basic education teachers will be held annually by the team from the Kenya Academy of Sports, according to Thuo Chege.
Thuo further requested that the Principal Secretary for Sports broaden the sports training to cover swimming and other diverse sports disciplines.
He added that the current govt has invested in the sports sector more than any other government since independence.
President William Ruto’s govt and the Ministry of Sports were commended for their active involvement and commitment to uplifting sports personnel.
According to the KAS, upon successful completion of the training of teachers to coaches, the teachers will be eligible for the CAF D license 2026 program under the new CAF coaching education framework.
