•The CS said the state is ready to mobilise resources and set the stage for Kenya’s qualification and eventual trophy hunt in major global contests.
•Namwamba said Harambee Starlets' Under-17 success narrative is anchored in effective youth development configurations founded by the government.
Image: FKF
The government has created the conditions necessary to steer Kenyan football to phenomenal heights, Sports Cabinet Secretary, Ababu Namwamba has said.
Namwamba enunciated in an interview on Tuesday that the Kenyan football landscape is gradually adopting the desired shape.
The CS said the state is ready to mobilise resources and set the stage for Kenya’s qualification and eventual trophy hunt in major global contests.
Namwamba said Harambee Starlets' Under-17 success narrative is anchored in effective youth development configurations founded by the government.
“Our girls have written a whole new chapter in the nation’s history as the first national team to qualify for the World Cup,” the CS remarked.
“These are the fruits of Talanta Hela. We introduced the initiative last year where we scouted for talent in schools and the villages,” he added.
The CS said the government will continue to bolster youth development frameworks with sights firmly trained on international conquest.
“Last year, we also worked together with the Kenya Academy of Sports to host a successful talent camp that brought together 2000 budding athletes,” he remarked.
“We selected and sent both boys and girls teams to Spain. The vast majority of girls currently featuring for the Harambee Starlets Under-17 team are those drawn from the Talanta Hela initiative. We are happy to see the fruits of the initiative after hard work,” he added.
Namwamba emphasised the significance of having a youth football league. “I have asked FKF to revive and strengthen the youth league so that youngsters can have continuous competition.
“For example, during the Four Nations tournament in Malawi, I insisted on having a U20 segment. It was beneficial for our U20 players to gain experience from that.”
He touched on incentives put in place by the government to motivate national teams to excel in their pursuits.
On Thursday, the Treasury allocated Sh16.5 billion to the Sports Ministry for the financial year 2024/25 in a budget read by Finance Cabinet Secretary Prof. Njuguna Ndung’u in Parliament Thursday.
The amount is a massive increase compared to the Sh6.4 billion allotted to the ministry in the preceding year.
“We are cognizant of the brand value of Kenyans participating and excelling in the international sports arena, I propose an allocation of Sh16.5 billion to the Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund,” Njuguna said.
Namwamba’s remarks came a few days after Kenya punched a historic first-ever ticket to the 2024 Fifa Women’s Under 17 World Cup that will be held in the Dominican Republic later in the year.
The East African sports powerhouse will flex muscles with 15 other nations that have sealed spots in the global showpiece.
They include Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, England, Japan, Korea DPR, the Korean Republic, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Poland, Spain, the USA, and Zambia.