Ababu Namwamba’s hits and misses as sports, culture and heritage Cabinet Secretary
Former Sports CS Ababu Namwamba addresses the press at Meru University of Science and Technology on Saturday.
Former Budalang'i MP, Ababu Namwamba, made a grand return to the sports docket after he was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and Heritage on September 27, 2022.
President William Ruto picked the vibrant Namwamba to replace Amina Mohamed, who had served in former President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration following her appointment in March 2019.
Namwamba had previously served in the docket under the late President Mwai Kibaki, who appointed him as Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs, from 2012 to 2013.
Though faced with a full in-tray, there was a ray of optimism and hope that Namwamba, who was articulate during his vetting by Parliamentary Committee on Appointments, would deliver especially after he enabled the enactment of the 2013 Sports Act into law.
Namwamba walked right into Kenya's suspension by the world football governing body, Fifa, and the doping scourge that had for ages threatened the well-being of the nation in athletics.
The country's sportsmen and women had suffered a great deal with the Kenya Aquatics, (formerly Kenya Swimming Federation), and Kenya Badminton Federation (KBF) suspended by their respective world federations owing to years of leadership wrangles.
The country's sports infrastructure was in shambles with renovations and construction of key stadiums that cost billions, having stalled.
The Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Uasin Gishu County, the historic Kamariny Stadium in Elgeyo Marakwet, and Mombasa County Stadium are among the venues where work has stalled since 2016, yet billions of public funds have been spent.
Namwamba birthed the Talanta Hela Initiative that put life into the dormant Kenya Academy of Sports and Sports Stadia.
Amina disbanded the Football Federation of Kenya (FKF) in November 2021 over graft allegations, with its boss Nick Mwendwa charged in court as a Caretaker Committee headed by retired judge Aaron Ringera was put in place to run football.
On February 24, 2022, Fifa banned Kenya, a move that saw both Harambee Stars and Harambee Starlets miss out on Africa and World Cup qualifications.
A total of 72 doping cases involving Kenyan athletes were recorded in 2022 leaving Kenya in Category 'A' of countries where doping is prevalent, but also set the stage for possible ban by World Athletics.
On November 4, 2022, Namwamba reinstated the expelled FKF National Executive Committee and its secretariat save for Mwendwa, who still had court cases.
Fifa lifted the ban on November 28, 2022.
With the Fifa ban out of the way, Namwamba had the doping scourge to handle as Kenya faced an imminent ban at the World Athletics Council meeting on December 1, 2002, in Rome. However, the country escaped the ban after President William Ruto pledged increased funding of Sh615 million annually for the next five years to fight the scourge.
This was a major victory for Namwamba considering that if the country was banned, athletes would have missed major events like the World Athletics Cross Country Championships, World Athletics Championships, and Olympic Games.
Kenyan swimmers, who had been denied many opportunities for four years, sighed with relief after World Aquatics lifted the ban on Kenya after Kenya Aquatics held elections in October last year.
A Special General Assembly held on October 7 at Kasarani, ushered into office a new team that marked a new dawn and the return to the World Aquatic fold.
Namwamba played a key role in ending years of leadership wrangles at Kenya Aquatic with Maureen Owiti being elected as its new president.
Perhaps Namwamba’s major milestone too is his successful push that saw Kenya win the bid to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations with Uganda and Tanzania in September last year.
Massive renovations are planned for Kasarani, Nyayo, and Kipchoge Keino Stadium, Eldoret.
Namwamba will also take pride in Junior Harambee Starlets' historic qualification to the Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup from October 16 to November 3 in the Dominican Republic.
However, Namwamba failed to rein in federations like the Boxing Federation of Kenya and the Kenya Cycling Federation.
He expressed optimism that he would be retained when the Cabinet is reconstituted. “Appointment to serve in public office is an honour, it is not an entitlement or a right. There are 50 million Kenyans who would serve at their best. I believe I have done a fantastic job. There are success stories all through. But at the end of the day, what matters is not our interests but the interest of Kenyans,” he said.
"At the end of the day, it is only the president's prerogative," he added.
