A technical committee has been established to coordinate the collaboration needed to support sports in the country.
The committee will draw members from the government, Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and the private sector, President William Ruto announced.
Ruto said the committee will oversee sponsorships of sportsmen and women in various events, branding leagues and managing advertisements for sports events and to ensure that talent is fully tapped to take sports to the next level in Kenya.
He emphasised that the government is committed to making the tripartite partnership mutually beneficial, noting that the private sector would not invest where there is no clear value.
“We must make it win-win. If it is not win-win, it is not sustainable,” he said.
He made the remarks during a breakfast meeting bringing together the Ministry of Sports, FKF and private sector representatives at State House, Nairobi, on Wednesday.
The technical committee, the President explained, will help streamline the sports sector and thus encourage the private sector to fully participate and contribute ideas and finances.
He pointed out that the selected team will address the obstacles that limit private sector involvement in sports by creating a framework for their effective participation.
Ruto said the government continues to make deliberate investment in sports, including the development of stadia, grassroots sports academies and organising tournaments from the bottom up.
He pointed out that the government had also deliberately bid to host CHAN 2024 and AFCON 2027 to give local sporting talent the necessary visibility.
To build on this momentum, Ruto called for bold leadership and a clear plan in the sports sector, adding that challenges in the sector are not as a result of lack of funds, but rather leadership and planning.
“I don’t think resources are the problem, both in government and private sector,” he said.
He noted that private sector contribution to sports had dwindled due to mismanagement and lack of leadership.
He recalled that Kenya has turned a corner from recent sports debacles. In 2022, FKF had been suspended from international football while monies from the Sports Fund were being used for other projects.
These challenges, he said, had since been addressed.
Since 2022, the Sports Fund has been dedicated solely to sports development.
On FKF leadership, he expressed confidence in the current office holders.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki added that the future of sports in Kenya is bright.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya affirmed that the government is committed to fostering relations with the private sector to elevate sports in the country.
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