Ababu promises to solve football standoff, doping after takeover

Outgoing Sports CS Amina Muhamed (L) handsover to incoming CS Ababu Namwamba during the handover at the Kenya Library service head offices on October 28, 2022. (Kelly Ayodi, Standard)

New Sports CS Ababu Namwamba has lined up fighting football standoff and doping vise in an attempt to revive the dying Kenyan sports after taking over from Amina Mohamed on Friday.

Namwamba, who is making a return to the ministry he served in 2012, said his mission is to clean the doping spree currently tainting Athletics Kenya's image and restore Kenya's football sector currently in limbo by following the rule of law.

From football, volleyball, rugby, cricket, athletics, chess and many more, many will keenly be watching how he deals with the crisis in the country.

Kenya has been under Fifa suspension since February after outgoing CS Amina Mohamed disbanded the Football Kenya Federation in November last year.

"We want to solve the current standoff between FKF and FIFA as soon as possible. I have been well briefed by outgoing CS Amina and we want to look at the proposals put forward herein to solve this matter taking into account President Ruto's call to fidelity to rule of law," said Namwamba on Friday.

The other hurdle in football is the financial challenges currently crippling not only local clubs but also national teams. FKF Premier League clubs last season were forced to turn to the government for a financial boost after exhausting their coffers and are unable to fund their operations including paying staff salaries.

The situation was so worse that Mathare United which has been a talent hub for some of Kenya's brightest footballers failed to honour three matches and therefore relegated to National Super League.

Other include 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.

The former Budalangi MP caution those involved in doping that their days are numbered as he promised a clean-out.

Outgoing Sports CS Amina Muhamed (L) and incoming CS Ababu Namwamba during the handover at the Kenya Library service head offices on October 28, 2022. (Kelly Ayodi, Standard)

"As a new government, we want to clean this doping vice currently tainting our image as an athletics powerhouse. This is a warning to anyone including doctors prescribing these drugs, your days are numbered."

"If you are part of this syndicate providing banned substance to our athletes, we are after you because we are working closely with all stakeholders to make it extremely expensive to dope."

"We are going to elevate banned substance to the calibre of hard drugs so that if you are caught, we treat you as a trafficker of heroin, cocaine and other hard drugs," said Namwamba.

The outgoing Amina thanked everyone she worked with to deliver on the government mandate before as she outlined the return of Safari Rally as one of her top successes.