Murang’a Members of County Assembly will this week table a bill seeking to compel the county to fund sporting activities.
The chairperson of the Youth, Sports, Gender and
Culture Committee Sharlene Wambui said sporting
activities in the county are mainly sponsored by
the Members of Parliament through the National
Government Constituencies Development Fund
and well-wishers.
The lack of a legal framework, she added, prevents the county government from getting involved thus disadvantaging the youth.
“Once we table this bill, and am very confident that the assembly will adopt it, the county government will be able to facilitate our youths to engage in sports,” she said.
Wambui underscored the role played by sports in keeping youths away from drugs, alcohol and other vices.
She spoke at General Kago stadium in Kangema town during the Kangema Sports Day she organised alongside Charlene Ruto and other organisations.
The sports day saw students from learning institutions such as Michuki Technical Training Institute and Murang’a Technical Training Institute participate in football and volleyball competitions.
“As the chairperson of the youth committee, I made it my responsibility to source funds to engage the youths and I have received a lot of support from Charlene Ruto,” she said.
“This is a talent search programme that I plan to implement in all sub-counties to help hone their skills while keeping them occupied during weekends.”
Such programmes, she said, will complement the Murang’a Youth Service programme under which the county government provides casual jobs to the youth.
Every batch of beneficiaries under the programme receives a daily stipend of Sh400 and is engaged for three months before being enrolled in the Technical, Vocational Education and Training Colleges (Tvets) for free courses after which they will each receive Sh15,000 to fund their start-ups.
Ruto said: “I am happy to be here and to witness the various talents of the youth. My call is to all young people to engage in activities that are empowering and shun harmful ones.”