Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba on Thursday, June 8, announced that the government will be launching a new talent search digital platform, TalantaHela.
During an interview with Homeboyz Radio, Namwamba stated that President William Ruto will be launching the TalantaHela programme complete with a digital platform on Friday, June 8.
He stated that the app, which will be available for download on all platforms, will be used to identify talent from different counties and groom them on how to monetise it.
How Talanta Hela Works
Namwamba explained that after downloading the app, users will be able to record a short clip of themselves in action and post it on the platform.
The videos, he noted, will be received and analysed in real-time by scouts at an already established Talanta Screening Centre at the Kenya Academy of Sports in Kasarani.
“If you are in Wajir for example and you believe you can sing, take a two-minute clip of yourself in action and go to the TalantaHela app which will be available across all platforms and post the clip.
“On the other side of the platform, we have established a talent screening centre at the Kenya Academy of Sports at Kasarani. As you post your clip in real-time, there will be scouts with about 20 screens and these clips are flashing in from all areas in Kenya,” he explained.
The scouts will be accorded the authority to select individuals worth grooming. If selected, the individual will be invited for an audition at the Talanta Hela Academy.
“Ultimately, the goal is to develop your talent, market and monetise it so that you can be able to make money from it,” Namwamba stated.
Developing Academies
The CS disclosed that three levels of academies will be developed across the country to serve as centres of excellence.
He explained that the academies will concentrate on growing talent across schools, communities and all stadiums across the country.
“Level one is the school and college ecosystem. The schools are going to be allowed to develop specific talents. For example, some schools are doing very well in athletics historically like St. Patrick Iten, we will establish infrastructure there specifically for athletics.
“Level two is the community. We will establish academies within the community and level three are all public stadiums across the country,” explained Namwamba.
Talanta Funding
Namwamba explained that because the initiative would cost the government a lot of money, corporate organisations in the country and international organisations were brought on board.
“We are aware of the financial implication of this mega programme. We have already made the budgetary projections and it is not cheap.
“Because of that we have established a partnership framework with some of the biggest corporates in town and we started this journey together. We have also plugged in the diplomatic community to be part of this process,” he added.
