Senate’s Eldoret sitting pays tribute to Kipchoge for record

What you need to know:

  • In a motion sponsored and moved by Majority leader Kipchumba Murkomen, the legislators were full of praise of the athletes describing them as trailblazers and great ambassadors whose achievements had made Kenya great.
  • Others, who were praised during the debate are Gladys Cherono, who, alongside Kipchoge, also won the Berlin Marathon, David Rudisha the Olympic 800 metres record holder, Daniel Komen, the 3,000 metres world record holder, among others.

Senators have paid tribute to world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge for his exploits and challenged the national government to bring sport into the heart of its planning if the country has to register greater sporting successes.

In the second sitting of the Senate in Eldoret on Wednesday, the legislators dedicated a motion to celebrate Kipchoge who last week conquered the world and entered the annals of history when he set a new world marathon record in Berlin, winning the Berlin Marathon in two hours, one minute and 39 seconds.

His mark erased the previous best 2:02:57 set by compatriot Dennis Kimetto four years ago.

Kipchoge ran a meticulous race, smashing the previous best by a massive one minutes and 16 seconds.

In a motion sponsored and moved by Majority leader Kipchumba Murkomen, the legislators were full of praise of the athletes describing them as trailblazers and great ambassadors whose achievements had made Kenya great.

Others, who were praised during the debate are Gladys Cherono, who, alongside Kipchoge, also won the Berlin Marathon, David Rudisha the Olympic 800 metres record holder, Daniel Komen, the 3,000 metres world record holder, among others.

“The only problem is that we reap from what we don’t sow,” Murkomen said when he moved the motion.

“Athletics is the backbone of this country’s international relations but we have taken our athletes for granted. We have taken our world records for granted,” he added, arguing that most of the success has been achieved with zero investment from the state.

“The national government's budget in sports doesn’t match with the outcome we get from our athletes,” he argued, noting that the challenge is not a preserve of the athletics but affects football, rugby and even cricket.

Minority leader James Orengo regretted that even though the athletes are the foremost ambassadors who have marketed Kenya’s image abroad, the rewards are not commensurate with what they have done for the country.

“There is no known national monument that has been put up in honour of our world beating athletes yet they have brought the greatest our honour to our country,” Orengo told the House, arguing that there is need for the best people to be picked to manage sport in Kenya.

“We are a bit of a disgrace… the only monument you are likely to get is that of politicians who have their own sordid side.”

Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula proposed that a non-contributory pension scheme should be established to give the athletes the opportunity to earn a living once age catches up.

Senator Mithika Linturi singled out sport for its capacity to promote cohesion and integration and noting that a robust medical scheme should be put in place to assist the athletes while still active.

The legislators appealed to the government for increased funding to the Ministry of Sport and Heritage to ensure proper facilities to create a conducive environment for the athletes across sport disciplines to train “so that when we demand success, it is seen in the kind of investment we put in place."

The senators also want the state to provide a plan for exposure for the athletes and a department of contracts established at the Ministry of Sports and Heritage to help negotiate contracts for the athletes and a trade union formed to agitate for the rights of the sportsmen and women.
The House later in the evening approved the motion which seeks the state to set aside additional funds to improve sports facilities, establish a conducive environment in the country by giving incentives to investors in the sports sector, provide psycho-social support to active and former athletes, including a pension scheme, and to create a fund to cushion athletes who are forced to early retirement due to illness, injury or other circumstances.