Echesa: Sports Fund a huge reprieve for ministry

What you need to know:

  • The fund is meant to finance the development of sports and recreation facilities that includes stadiums, gymnasiums, buildings and tracks as well as enhancing support and access to funding for sportspersons and sports organizations to enable their participation in sporting events and competitions
  • National teams have previously struggled to raise funds to honour international assignments with football, volleyball and rugby the most affected federations and according to Echesa, the ministry has gone out of their way to provide
  • After a long standoff, Echesa is hopeful that the fund will be operational by end of this month signalling a new breath of life financially

Billions of money channelled to the Sports ministry from the newly established Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund will be a huge reprieve in the development of the game, Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa has said.

A total of 15% is taxed on Betting, Lotteries and Gaming companies and the proceeds paid into the Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund.

About Sh15 billion reportedly lies at the Treasury since the act came into force January this year.

The Sports ministry will have 55% under their control - with 35% meant for sports and 20% for Heritage and Arts - while 40% will go to health care and 5% to administration.

The fund is meant to finance the development of sports and recreation facilities that includes stadiums, gymnasiums, buildings and tracks as well as enhancing support and access to funding for sportspersons and sports organizations to enable their participation in sporting events and competitions.

Further, it will enable facilitation for the acquisition and provision of equipment to sports and recreation facilities.

National teams have previously struggled to raise funds to honour international assignments with football, volleyball and rugby the most affected federations and according to Echesa, the ministry has gone out of their way to provide.

“Even though it has been a tall order but in some cases, we had to source for funds elsewhere to ensure the associations are able to honour their assignments,” said Echesa.

And after a long standoff, Echesa is hopeful that the fund will be operational by end of this month signalling a new breath of life financially.

“The percentage that will be channelled to the sports ministry will be a huge boost for our activities, we don’t expect so many hitches once the fund is up and running because it will go a long way in achieving our goals,” Echesa underlined.

“For instance, we intend to use a large chunk of the money in developing the game, we cannot do this without proper infrastructure, my objective is to improve on our facilities around the country,” he added.

“Nyayo stadium is nearing completion for instance, we want it to be roofed all round and maintained properly, hopefully teams will be able to host matches at the place this season. We’ve earmarked one more stadium in Kiambu and so many others that will benefit once we’ve the funds.”

Echesa added that they are also closely monitoring the situation at the City Stadium after the Nairobi County promised to refurbish the historical venue that was home to Kenyan champions Gor Mahia until its closure in 2013.

“We are concerned with its current status since it’s a renown sporting facility as well therefore must be renovated to international standards, we will liaise with the county (Nairobi) and see how fast that can be done,” he offered.

Setting up of academies in counties falls among Echesa’s to-do-list.

“It will be a wonderful idea if all the 290 constituencies have academies in place monitored by the ministry to help nurture more talents from the grassroots level in all sports disciplines.”