National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah on Thursday, August 17, summoned Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba to appear before Parliament.
The CS is required to present himself before the National Assembly Committee on Sports and Culture to provide an explanation as to why no representative from the ministry was present to receive the sports team that recently represented Kenya at the Berlin Games.
The Majority Leader, visibly angered by the situation, emphasised that the Ministry of Sports must be held accountable for their failure to acknowledge the Kenyan athletes who he described as exemplary ambassadors for the nation.
“It is extremely sad that such good ambassadors of our country can leave the country without due recognition of the ministry charged with that responsibility," he noted.
Other MPs, concurring with Ichung'wah, nodded their heads and stamped their feet including those from President William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party which nominated Namwamba to the cabinet.
Ichung'wah, also the Kikuyu MP, apologised to the team on behalf of the government and vowed to ensure CS Namwamba is held accountable for demonstrating poor leadership.
“You are not made a minister in this country, to fly flags in the streets and bulldoze your way through traffic - you’re made a minister to serve the people. And if you’re made a minister of sports you must serve sportsmen and women of our country,” the Majority Leader asserted.
Daniel Wanyama, the Webuye West MP and Chair of the Sports and Culture committee, echoed Ichung’wah's sentiments, emphasising that CS Namwamba should not just attend the committee session, but also provide a detailed report clarifying his absence and lack of welcome for the athletes.
National Assembly Speaker, Moses Wetangula, further called on the house to ensure Kenyan athletes get the appropriate recognition for flying the Kenyan flag high.
“You go to some countries and you find a street named after an athlete and the only recognition they have is that they finished a race at the Olympics,” the Speaker remarked.
Wetang'ula reserved special praise for the athletes who represented Kenya in the games as well as the two Kenyan Members of Parliament that represented the house during the games.
The Kenyan contingent participated in a wide range of sports including badminton, beach volleyball, basketball, golf, cycling, athletics, bocce, football, volleyball, handball, among other sports.
