This archive report was first published on 29 June 2020.
On June 29, 2020, Kenyans were treated to a host of sports-related pronouncements that left a lot to be desired. The management of Football Kenya Federation (FKF) continues to undermine footballers, while the federation looks on, as it is not any different from the clubs when it comes to oppressing players.
According to a former national team footballer, the election of incompetent leaders from the grassroots to the national level in FKF elections is the genesis of recurring problems that bedevil the game. We have failed to elect leaders on merit, he said.
On the same day, a former FKF head expressed concerns over FKF's elections after a ruling by the Sports Dispute Tribunal (SDT) was stayed further by the High Court, which stopped all proceedings against FKF at the SDT. It is unfortunate that the sports industry in Kenya has lately been subjected to ridicule by people benefiting from impunity, he said.
Kenya's footballing bodies would not exist if it were not for impunity, which sustains them. The lackadaisical way sports issues are handled through loud statements and little action happens at every level of sports mismanagement. Even the State cannot keep a clean sheet.
Several years ago, Kenyans were promised several state-of-the-art and world-class stadiums in several towns. Three years later, when they asked where the stadiums were, they were directed to websites, as if they were expected to download them. The presence of better stadium or sports infrastructure does not necessarily translate into good results, and Kenyan cricket is a perfect example of how playing grounds do not add up to much.
Granted, stadiums are extremely important, but of what use are they when there are no strong policies that promote sports and motivate sports persons? This week, there was another promise of another world-class state-of-the-art stadium in Kisumu, at the cost of Sh350 million. The new stadium will be managed by Sports Kenya, whose officials spend more on their salaries and attendant expenses than what they make from the existing stadiums that fall under their poor care.
The statement by the Sports Cabinet Secretary that the new stadium will spur economic growth in the region rings hollow unless we are considering that the locals will be hired by the contractors. There is little in terms of income that the existing State-managed stadia that fall under Sports Kenya generate, and that calls for Kenyans to have a relook at the job description of the Sports Kenya and if it is delivering.
