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{
    "id": 586876,
    "url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/586876/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 283,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Okong’o",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 948,
        "legal_name": "Kennedy Mong'are Okong'o",
        "slug": "kennedy-mongare-okongo"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. From the outset, let me take this opportunity to thank the youthful Senator, who also doubles as the Captain for the Senate for bringing this Motion to congratulate our athletes who really did Kenya proud in the last International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) championships, and in the just concluded All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville. Since Independence, Kenya has been a powerhouse in all events specifically athletics, which we have been known for from the times of Kipchoge Keino, Nyandika Maiyoro and others. The Mover of the Motion has mentioned challenges bedeviling these sportsmen and women. He has spoken of challenges whereby we glorify these athletes when they have won medals. However, back home, huge taxes are imposed on them on training kits, their investments and winning prices. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have been a consultant and a coach in the athletics field for over ten years; I have nurtured a number of talents. The challenge of the present and past governments is that when an athlete is running abroad, he has an agent who takes taxes on the athlete. When this youngman or woman comes to Kenya, taxes are also imposed by the mother country which has no facilities. What are these taxes for if the Government cannot give incentives to these young talents? Some of these athletes sometimes drop out of school because of either poverty or lack of support from Government. So, the only field and way to sacrifice their lives to make a living is through athletics. When Kenyans hear an athlete has won a race and received US$100,000, they think that this is something which was won in a day. If our media could go behind the scenes to see how many hours these athletes put in training and the kind of diet that they feed on, it is terrible. However, these men and women make us proud. When you see the national flag raised in China or wherever else, all Kenyans from all walks of life stand up to cheer these athletes. They bring solidarity and a sense of nationalism which fails and fades as some of these athletes fall into vagaries and challenges of life; like quick money, drugs and beer. As we recognise other talents, we also need to work on a framework. I am told that The Sports Act 2013 is in place and it has a number of ways of achieving Vision 2030 in terms of infrastructural development to assist these athletes. For instance, in Nairobi County, pupils and students in schools do not have playgrounds. There are now big game parks and all the land has been grabbed. It is important that we stand and fight for the rights of these athletes so that they can know what is beneficial for them and the country as a whole. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the budgetary allocation in the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Arts, it is a meagre amount. When we debated the budgetary allocation here, we realised that the National Assembly hid some money for the Committee on the Finance, Planning and Trade. An amount of Kshs10 billion was hidden to be used by Members of those budgetary committees, whereas such kind of money can be put to good use---"
}