Pick next sports CS based on ability, not political loyalty

The best barometer of how well a candidate is suited for the post of Sports Cabinet Secretary should be his/her ability to restore hygiene to local sports and take the industry to new heights. Loyalty to the government of the day should no longer be the only quality that counts.

If this highly important appointment is made based solely on a candidate’s ability to pander to the powers that be and not on their ability to provide sound leadership for sports stakeholders, we shall be making a grave mistake once more.

It is understandable that such appointments are done with politics in mind, but it will be better not to repeat the mistake of bringing clueless individuals to manage such a niche docket.

Never before has local sports been so desperate for sound leadership. The new leader has such a daunting in-tray to deal with.

First, all local sports federations are reeling from deeply entrenched corruption, infighting, and decades of poor governance.

It is now an accepted fact that to succeed as an athlete, one must rely only on his individual capabilities, while expecting little to no support from the State. That should not be the case in a progressive country like ours.

Harambee Stars, the most popular team in the country, has not played any match in one year, and Kenya stands banned from international football activity.

This crisis can only be navigated by following a delicate strategy. Such a strategy can only be designed by a CS who knows what to do. But these are not the only reasons the country desperately needs a proficient sports CS.

We are at such a low point that the only place to go is up. Poor handling of the issues dogging this field may ruin our chances of ever regaining our status as a country that performs above average in matters sport.

That’s why I hope those tasked with work of selecting the next sports chief will look beyond loyalty. The next CS should show proof of love of sport, and confirm their knowledge of it. This should not be optional, it should be the basic qualification sought from front runners.

At the interview for the next Sports CS, if there will be one, the candidate who offers a thoughtful response to the mess in Kenyan football is the one who should be selected, not just anyone who promises to end the governance paralysis without explaining how.

The question of what happened to the Sports Act and how it can be modified to make it more beneficial to sports people should also feature prominently in that interview.

Let’s select the candidate who has a vision on how to properly reward retired athletes, so that we can finally see an end to sports stars languishing in poverty in their sunset years.

And, can we find someone who is committed to end stories of athletes being mistreated while representing Kenya abroad? These are the questions we must ask as we select the next CS.

Lastly, although this should have been first, may those making the appointments desist from using the sports docket as a dumping ground for politicians with limited competence levels. We have seen enough ineptitude over the last few years.

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