Echesa puts Kasarani grabbers on notice

Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa has rolled up his sleeves — quite literally too — and ordered immediate investigations into alleged grabbing of stadium land at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

The new CS was at Kasarani on Thursday for the launch of the Kenya Academy of Sports, but took time off to — jacket off and sleeves rolled — physically inspect the vast sports centre, coming face-to-face with private activity including construction and farming on the over 1,000-acre public facility set aside for development of sports infrastructure.

The furious Echesa raised concerns over the private occupation on the land and was also concerned over delays in renovation works at the main Kasarani stadium arena.

The CS have the contractor one month to complete the work.

“We will be working with the police on this to ensure there is no civil servant in the ministry colluding with the land grabbers,” the minister said.

“This is something we will not take lightly, and we have to build a perimeter wall to keep off the encroachers.”

Echesa was particularly furious that part of the stadium appeared to have been encroached into. The bare land has been inactive for a while, allowing individuals to launch farming on the land.

Work on the drainage, playing surfaces, parking areas, changing rooms, seating and general aesthetics of the main stadiums at the Nyayo National Stadium and Kasarani have been going on since August.

“I have talked to the contractors who are working on the stadia as well as Sports Kenya who have assured me that all will be done in a month’s time. We have to start hosting games here as soon as possible,” said Echesa.

The works delays, among other disruptions, affected Kenya’s chances of hosting last month’s Africa Nations Championship which was handed to Morocco.

Earlier, Echesa launched a five-day workshop on the governance of the sports academies.

The countrywide programme is intended to seek and nurture talent in all the 47 counties across 25 disciplines.

“Our main aim is to develop sports from the grassroots and have a sufficient feeder for our national teams and federations form all ages. This is something achievable as we eradicate the cartels in team selection,” noted an optimistic Echesa.

PROWESS IN FOOTBALL

National Olympic Committee of Kenya President Paul Tergat, who doubles up as the chairman of the Kenya Academy of Sports, agreed with the CS, saying it was the best way of passing the baton.

“We were former sports personalities and investing on our young sports people is the best thing for our future in sports. Kenya is well known for athletics and other sports, so its time raise our prowess in football and other ball games to reach the level of athletics and rugby,” said Tergat, a former world marathon record holder.

The Kenya Academy of Sports plans to unveil talent search programmes in all counties by 2020.

Tergat also appealed to the state sports agencies — Sports Kenya, Kenya Academy of Sports and Sports Fund — to be more proactive in order for Kenyan sport to grow.