Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba hosted over 1,000 sportsmen and women for a recognition night. The attendants included several people in the creative spaces. Kenya’s most decorated living legends attended the Cabinet Secretary’s Champions Reception to reward the best in Kenya and build partnerships.
CS Ababu Namwamba also reiterated that Kenya’s Sportsmen and Women, alongside our creatives, are our premium heritage and most precious export.
“Without a doubt, our sportsmen and women, as well as our creatives, are the goose that lay the golden egg. We must start honouring them as deserved because nothing brands this country better, more finely than our impressive sportsmen and creatives.”
While distributing over 100 million shillings in cash rewards, the CS said his ministry had begun a new dawn of monetary rewards to the best performers across the board and rolling out deliberate, intentional and strategic plans to attract corporate sponsorships and partners.
“When you see the high number of ambassadors and corporate partners in attendance here tonight, you should know that it is not by fluke. We deliberate in building partnerships to support our drive under the #TalantaHela initiative to transform these spaces.”
The CS announced the ministry’s intervention in the Football League from the lower levels to the premier league. In it, he revealed that Gor Mahia will receive 10 million. Of this amount, 5 million is a cash reward for winning the championship. The additional 5 million would assist them in offsetting the dues owed to their players. The dues caused the club to disqualify from CAF competitions.
CS Namwamba also announced a KSh. 5 million each to Kakamega Homeboys for winning the FKF Cup, Vihiga Queens for winning the women’s Premier League and Ulinzi Starlets, who won the FKF Women’s. He also announced a Ksh. 500 000 each to the lower league winners, in addition to extending Ksh. 5 million to AFC Leopard to aid them in offsetting FiFA fines.
These, he, however, said, was a one-off hail out. He took to calling on the management of various clubs to put their houses in order and better manage the affairs of the football clubs. He promised a better league season owing to the ministry’s intervention. This has seen a return of corporates and sponsors to our football scene.
The #TalantaHela initiative has four main pillars that support its objective of transforming the sports and the creative arts space. They include Talent Search, Nurturing, Commercialization, and Infrastructure Development coherently guided by a concise master plan.
