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{
    "id": 1294872,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1294872/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 238,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Ababu Namwamba",
    "speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs and Sports",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "We had a ceremony to award these cash rewards. The ceremony was hosted at the Talanta Plaza offices of the Ministry. The ceremony was graced by His Excellency the President who presented these cash awards to the athletes as per the list that has been provided. There was also a question on uniforms. It will be important for this House to note that as far as athletics is concerned, Athletics Kenya and the National Olympics Committee of Kenya; the two bodies that manage this space have an agreement with Nike as a branding partner. It is that partner who normally kits Team Kenya in this kind of competitions. Therefore, the kitting is not something that we spend money on. It is done under the kitting agreement between the two federations and Nike. We have provided two annexures, which I will refer the House to. Annexure One provides details on allowances and cash rewards and annexure two, which provides details on the tickets. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, let me emphasize how significant it is that when we came to the office, we made a transformative decision to revise the reward scheme for the entire sports ecosystem; raising rates for both allowances and cash rewards. Allowances have been tripled from Kshs1,000 to Kshs3,000 for when athletes are in local camps. After a team is selected, they go to local camps. Previously, they were getting paid Kshs1,000 a day, but we raised that to Kshs3,000 a day. We also raised the rates from USD60 to USD200 while they are in competition and have travelled, like when they were in Budapest. This is a daily stipend to athletes. Those rates are already being applied. We have also introduced a new cash award of Kshs5 million for breaking a world record. Previously, there was no provision whatsoever for breaking a world record. You broke a world record, you had some mursik, danced to some isukuti at JKIA and then you would go home. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we currently have a new arrangement where every world record is rewarded with Kshs5 million. Faith Kipyegon and Kelvin Kiptum have already benefited from this new scheme. We also significantly raised rewards for medal winners to Kshs3 million for gold, Kshs2 million for silver and Kshs1 million for bronze, respectively. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we have also introduced the Hongera awards which first rewarded legends going back to the 1960s and also settled Kshs25 million in cash rewards arrears going back 11 years ago. It was incredulous that athletes who competed for this country 11 years ago are still waiting for their allowances and I am glad to report to this House that we have settled that in full. We have also opened a Hall of Fame to honour Kenya’s sporting and creative greats. At the Talanta Plaza, you can walk through a Hall of Fame, right from greats like the late Wilson Kiprugut Arap Chumo, the first Kenyan to win an Olympics medal for this country, all the way to the current greats like Faith Kipyegon and Nelly Moraa. We believe it is a fitting legacy and honour to our athletes."
}