Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba has affirmed that he’s not resigning anytime soon and is confident his leadership will steer the ministry back on track.
In an interview on Monday September 18, the former Budalangi Member of Parliament insisted that he took over a docket which was already in a mess.
He maintained that he is not deterred by any opinions from select MPs whom he accused of pushing for his resignation from the office.
This was in relation to his appearance before the MPs in the National Assembly on August 23 primarily over mismanagement and abuse of office power.
Namwamba on the other hand pointed out that the recent polls by Infotrak were enough proof of the public’s faith in his leadership.
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“As you can confirm through public opinion, you can accept the fact that I am steering the ministry towards the right direction, a ministry I found in total mess,” said Namwamba.
Namwamba on the future of sports
Moreover, the CS added that the lifting of the National Football Team’s ban by FIFA through his leadership was a clear indication of some of the crucial measures he had taken to revive the ministry.
He also congratulated the National volleyball and rugby 7s teams that have already qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Namwamba insisted that the performances of the team had to be credited to the organization and preparations overseed by his ministry.
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CS Namwamba on Tuesday, September 19 announced a major boost for the Sports industry in Kenya as the government is set to launch the International Stadia Upgrade project.
The initiative aims to elevate three prominent stadiums in Kenya, namely Kasarani, Nyayo, and Kipchoge Keino, to international standards.
Additionally, a new stadium called “Talanta Sports City” is scheduled for construction as part of this ambitious project.
“We have taken time to plan, we are ready to roll,” he stated.
The Ministry is set to hand over the project to the contractors responsible for the international stadia upgrade.
The upgrades fall under the Sports and Arts Infrastructure Master Plan (SAIM) and are a significant component of the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
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Kenya’s AFCON 2027 bid
Currently, the existing stadiums in Kenya lack international status, hindering the country’s ability to host major international sporting events.
This development comes as a significant boost to Kenya’s ambitions as it prepares for a joint bid to host the AFCON 2027 games alongside Tanzania and Uganda.
Namwamba, in his announcement, had set a deadline of 2025 for completing the stadium upgrades.
Namwamba emphasized that the completion of these stadiums within the deadline is non-negotiable, whether Kenya secures the AFCON hosting rights or not.
