Sports CS Salim Mvurya flanked by federation heads during a joint meeting at Moi Stadium, Kasarani/ CHARLENE MALWA Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya has promised rapid funding for sports federations that meet compliance requirements, while warning that poor governance, lobbying and delays will no longer be tolerated.
Speaking on Wednesday during a meeting with federation heads, Mvurya announced that compliant federations would now receive funding approvals within an hour, provided all registration protocols are met.
“The turnaround time for fund allocation, if proper channels of registration are followed, will be an hour,” Mvurya said.
Delays in disbursement often stem from non-compliance, not bureaucracy, he said.
“There is no negotiation on matters of governance and accountability. Sports funds are not just an open cheque. They are guided across every financial year,” the CS added.
He criticised federations that attempt to bypass proper procedures by lobbying politicians.
“Some of you even lobby Members of Parliament to convince me, yet you have not followed the proper criteria. Provided you have made the requests on time, I will approve them as guided by the law,” he promised.
The CS revealed that cash awards and athlete allowances are under review, with revised guidelines set to be announced soon. He reiterated the government’s commitment to investing in sports infrastructure to boost grassroots talent and enhance Kenya’s global competitiveness.
“We have taken important lessons from hosting CHAN 2024, which showed us the value of investing in world-class facilities. We are rolling out sports infrastructure projects across Kenya so that federations can recruit from the grassroots and nurture talent to the national level,” he said.
He challenged sports federations to resolve leadership wrangles and promote accountability, noting that instability discourages sponsors and hampers athlete development.
The Ministry pledged to expand capacity-building programmes to help federations align with existing laws and global best practices.
Several federations, including Gymnastics Kenya and Netball Kenya, reported that they have been unable to participate in international events since 2021 due to a lack of support. Others cited challenges in fielding players for overseas competitions.
In response, Mvurya assured federation heads that the Ministry has adopted an open-door policy to work collaboratively on resource mobilisation and compliance, to restore Kenya’s global competitiveness in sports.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) CEO Peninah Wahome called on federations to help expose agents and medical professionals involved in doping.
“Our teams have been meeting athletes and educating them on the importance of competing clean. We have an email for reporting doping, and it will remain anonymous,” she said.
Sports Registrar Rose Wasike, who oversees the registration of sports entities, reported that 1,420 federations and clubs, 22 sports bodies, and 122 individual athletes have been registered so far.
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