Samson Cherargei: Why I am pushing for accountability in sports ministry

Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei at Parliament buildings, Nairobi. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

The Ministry of Sports under Ababu Namwamba as the Cabinet Secretary has found itself under public scrutiny over what many term as negligence by those in charge.

Part of the leaders who have been very vocal on the matter is Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei who was among the whistleblowers who summoned CS Namwamba to Parliament to shed light on the issues raised.

Speaking on Spice FM on Wednesday, September 6, Cherargei said that he is pushing for accountability which he claims the ministry lacks.

Additionally, he accused the Sports Ministry of neglecting athletes and failing to perform its duties as demanded by law.

“There is a problem in the Ministry of Sports. The reason why I have been very vocal is that as a country we need to protect the opportunities outside white-collar jobs, more specifically sports. One cannot sit in an air-conditioned office in Nairobi and just wish away serious issues that are being raised,” said Cherargei.

SENATOR CHERARGEI: Sports in Kenya should largely be managed by ex-sportsmen and women, not politicians.

Nandi Senator, Samson Cherargei, in #TheSituationRoom .@scherargei pic.twitter.com/XyoMrfQGnL

— SpiceFM (@SpiceFMKE) September 6, 2023

According to the Nandi Senator, the biggest concern in the Ministry is management, especially by federations which according to him should be dissolved and new leaders appointed.

Additionally, the Sports Fund and all the money that the Ministry gets should be audited, Cherargei says.

“They say federations are untouchable yet it is us [Kenyans] who fund them. We must push for elections in every federation and do a special audit of funds allocated by the government and donations including the sports fund which has never been audited,” he said.

His remarks come a week after Namwamba was accused by Members of Parliament of failing to discharge his duties and seeming unbothered about the well-being of sportsmen and women.

According to National Assembly Majority Leader, Kimani Ichung’wah, the CS was misusing the privileges he enjoys from the position, instead of using it to serve athletes.

He also expressed disappointment on how the athletes usually jet back to the country without a proper reception by the Ministry.

Reiterating his words, the House’s Deputy Speaker Gladys Shollei insinuated that the athletes’ department is infiltrated by rogue officials who are leading the ministry in the wrong direction.

Cherargei now insists that the ministry should be managed by former sportspersons and not politicians. He is of the school of thought that they are experts in the field of sports and will have full knowledge when it comes to managing and running the Ministry.