MPs’ World Cup trip report ready, at last

By  DAVID MWERE

What you need to know:

  • The MPs’ tour sparked outrage among Kenyans, who questioned why the MPs travelled to Moscow.

  • Two weeks after Speaker Justin Muturi demanded that MPs produce report about their controversial tour.

The MPs who travelled to Russia for the 2018 World Cup have presented their report to the National Assembly, two weeks after Speaker Justin Muturi demanded that it be produced to apprise the country on their controversial tour.

The bench-marking tour saw 17 legislators spend more than Sh25 million on air tickets, meals and accommodation as well as match tickets at a time when the country was struggling to raise revenue.

In the report Sports, Culture and Tourism Committee chairman Victor Munyaka (Machakos Town) wants the government to develop at least eight new ultra-modern stadiums spread across the former provinces to enable them to host major sports events, which have eluded the country due to lack of facilities.

Also Read

ACADEMIES

The committee also wants the five Africa Nations Championships (CHAN) stadiums - Kasarani, Nyayo, Machakos, Kipchoge Keino and Kinoru- be upgraded to FIFA standards.

Mr Munyaka also noted that Kenya's stadiums pale in comparison to Russia’s.

The committee also wants the Sports ministry to develop academies in all constituencies to nurture talents from the grass roots in order to form stronger and better teams.

SPONSORSHIP

“Football clubs in Kenya should by now form their own strong academies,” Mr Munyaka says in the report.

Meanwhile, the committee wants national team Harambee stars, whose players were denied the chance to go to the World Cup, to be well funded.

“They need technical support and professional coaching services to be able to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The ministry and Football Kenya Federation should explore ways of getting private sponsorship and other local clubs to embrace the game in the country,” says the report

COURSES

Notably, it is the Sports ministry, whose CS Rashid Echesa rubbished the MPs trip as pointless, that is required to implement the committee’s recommendations.

The legislators also want a proper sports infrastructure and that security personnel undergo refresher courses on how to deal with crowd control and that the football federation and the ministry implement online ticketing and accreditation system.

The MPs’ tour sparked outrage among Kenyans, who questioned why the MPs travelled to Moscow.

In the headlines