Elias Makori

31 August 2010

Nairobi — Errant officials and non-performing sports associations will soon be reined in with the implementation of the long overdue Sports Bill.

The new Sports minister, Paul Otuoma, on Tuesday said high on the list of priorities at his new docket is to fast-track the updated Bill through Parliament to allow for legislation to govern sports management in the country. He warned that it will not be "business as usual" for truant sports officials.

The minister on Tuesday morning held a three-hour consultative meeting with sports editors and senior government officials to brainstorm over the future of Kenyan sport. It was the first time since the drafting of the Sports Policy eight years ago that journalists were allowed to dissect the resultant Sports Bill and offer their views on contentious issues.

Fast-track it through Parliament

"Other stakeholders have had the opportunity to have a look at the Sports Bill and this meeting is part of the consultative forums that started a while back," the minister said after the meeting. "The only thing that can bring order to the management of sports in Kenya is proper legislation and now that we have the Sports Bill, I will make it my priority to fast-track it through Parliament so that it becomes law," the minister said.

The Bill is currently being redrafted at the Attorney General's chambers before being presented to Parliament. The minister said the redrafting will take not more than 30 days. He noted that in the absence of legislation governing sports organisations, it would be difficult to place checks and balances on sports administrators who go off-line.

He specifically took a swipe at the management of local football, saying ceaseless wrangles had pushed the game down the drain. "We cannot behave as though it's business as usual and we should embrace the spirit of the change that is taking place in the country," he said. The minister was accompanied by his permanent secretary, James Waweru, the Commissioner of Sports Gordon Oluoch and Sports Secretary Wilson Lang'at among other senior ministry officials.

Otuoma said irrespective of the huge load facing Parliament - that has to tackle 49 new laws in view of the promulgation of the new Constitution - the Sports Bill was an equally important aspect of legislation that he would fight to push through the stages. "Ministries have been asked to restructure in order to be in line with the new Constitution and the governance of sports is one area that we will be treating with top priority," the minister said.

The Sports Bill, inter alia, provides for a dispute resolution mechanism, sets forth sports funding procedures, most significantly a Sports Lottery, and introduces a National Sports Institute to promote the development of sports in the country.

Otuoma said it is his desire to give the ministry more teeth and financial muscle to fund sports management in the country and ensure sobriety in the running of national sports federations.

The minister and his PS said they would also look into the revamping of the country's sports venues and said the interest shown by the Coca-Cola Company to upgrade the Nyayo National Stadium after taking up its naming rights deserved a second look despite being shot down by his predecessor, Hellen Sambili, who was transferred to the East African Community docket in the recent Cabinet reschuffle.