Why Ababu must hit the ground running

The sports fraternity in Kenya has welcomed Ababu Namwamba's appointment as Sports Ministry.

President William Ruto Tuesday named the politician as his Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports and Arts nominee.

He will be expected, after getting  Parliament’s greenlight, to streamline a sector that has known its fair share of challenges.

The 46-year-old former Budalangi MP makes a return to the sports docket having briefly served in the same capacity between 2012 and 2013.

Many will keenly be watching how he deals with the football crisis in the country.

Kenya remains banned by Fifa, its local leagues in disarray, following the decision of the government last November to disband the federation over governance issues.

He will also face other pressing structural issues once his appointment is approved by Parliament, such as improving the sports infrastructure, including the stalled and dilapidated Kipchoge Keino and Kamariny stadiums in Usain Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet counties which, incidentally, are not only located in President Ruto's backyard, but also in an area that has produced thousands of world beaters in the track and field.

He is also expected to step up the fight against doping, construct indoor arenas, and return football to the competitive scene after a year in the dark.

In a message on his official Twitter handle a day before his appointment, Namwamba said there’s need to ensure the existing ban on Kenyan football by Fifa is lifted.

“Harambee Stars stand banned by Fifa from international football. They are missing out on Afcon 2023 qualifiers among other competitions.

“Fifa should be robustly engaged to resolve the impasse even as the ban period is smartly used to reinvigorate local football," he wrote.

In a 21-team Cabinet that mostly included politicians who'd remained loyal to President Ruto in the last five years, Nation Sport understands Namwamba, who was initially considered for a senior role in the Foreign Affairs docket, emerged as the best candidate to lead the Youth and Sports department.

Namwamba replaces Amina Mohamed, whose tenure at the Kencom House-based Ministry, saw Kenya successfully host several international sports events.

She also oversaw the reforming of troubled Cricket Kenya, but her efforts to clean up football proved tougher than she may have envisaged.

“He (Namwamba) is a young, energetic man, who looks focussed and loves sports," said Waithaka Kioni, the National Olympic Committee (NOC-K) deputy chairman and Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) chairman.

“I would expect him to invest in the youth, in age-group competitions and increase funding for training to ensure our national teams are better prepared.”

A lawyer and seasoned politician, Namwamba holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Nairobi and a Master of Laws degree in international law from Washington College of Law in the US.

He served as the Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Jubilee government.

“Back in 2013, he (Namwamba) achieved a rare feat of overseeing the enactment of the Sports Act that gave our sports a statutory grounding that paved way to the achievements we see today," observed Patrick Korir, the Chief Executive of top flight club City Stars.

“Unfortunately he arrives when football is struggling after it was strangled through the very Sports Act. He is a known achiever and I believe he'll restore order and get the game on the right path.”