Elizabeth Manyala, county rep Kayole South at a previous forum
The Nairobi county MCA’s might shape the face and future of sports within Nairobi County once they approve the sports budget falling under the labor and social welfare committee by employing sports men and women and promoting talents with county regions.
The County representatives, labor and social welfare committee members’ yesterday afternoon took a spot check at the KIMSCA bound Nairobi teams training at city stadium in Nairobi Kenya.
Led by MCA chairman Wilson Ongele Ochola, the impromptu meeting saw the committee members analyze the stadium’s dilapidated shameful conditions during the Nairobi County’s teams training sessions which was marred by aged sports men and women.
John Baraza, assistant manager at Nairobi city stadium was optimistic with his aged charges who will represent the Nairobi county in Nakuru city, but thinks that it’s a high time the county had to recruit youthful sportsmen and women in a honest process, free of corruption.
“I don’t think we can push more in the next coming three years, the guys you see here , some of them are former internationals who were employed back in 1998, since then, we haven’t recruited any fresh blood into our system despite being football champions seven years in a row,” the man who hailed from Bunyala complained to the committee,
“ A few attempts from the past were noted though, but we did not land our hands on the sports men and women who we had recommended due to corruption at the top offices.”
The unpromising Wilson Ongele Ochola said that the labor and social welfare committee had plans to inject fresh blood into the Nairobi County’s system, although the budget allocations were not yet in place.
“We are trying the best at the committee level to employ the vast majority of unemployed youth in Nairobi, our hands for now are currently tied, but we have taken note of his situation,” the man who represents Utalli ward said.
Corruption in Nairobi County has seen the underdevelopment of sports within the county agrees Elizabeth Manyala, member of the committee who said that this had been her greatest challenge since she was elected into office.
“in Kayole for instance, we have no space at all since the estate was unplanned for, we have little available space for the public to use for recreational and we now have to have good word with public schools to allow us to use their fields after classes are over,” the agitated five foot tough lady representing Kayole south ward said.
children playing outside Kayole police post because of lack of playing ground
“The big shots in government are killing us though, by protecting land grabbers, every time we try to stop this vice, a land grabber will phone some big shot who in turn will make another phone call that might end up in state house.”
Manyala also added that through the committee, sports within counties has been devolved and the politicians have plans of starting youth leagues from the sub county levels up to the county level in their efforts to develop talents within the regions.
Individual teams will also benefit from equipments once the final budget has been approved and allocated she said.
the dilapidated Nairobi city stadium stands
The Nairobi politicians however did not promise on rehabilitating the artificial turf, city stadium since they could only recommend on the faults they see and wait for the approval of the budget.
Local sports men and women within Nairobi County may now smile if indeed Manyala and her team’s words will be kept for a better sporting future in Nairobi.
Author: Shadrack Andenga Odinga