GET /api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1476205/?format=api
HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 1476205,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1476205/?format=api",
"text_counter": 118,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Kipchumba Murkomen",
"speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports",
"speaker": {
"id": 440,
"legal_name": "Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen",
"slug": "kipchumba-murkomen"
},
"content": "The Ministry, through collaboration with KSTVET, has developed a prototype design and bills of quantities for different categories of stadia as I read earlier. They are 20,000, 15,000, 10,000 and up to 5,000-seater. We are reviewing the designs and bill of quantities for completion of all stalled and incomplete stadia as I read earlier. I have given my team two weeks, then we review and start processes of paying whatever is pending in order to make sure that we complete the pending stadiums. We do not want another round of lamentations as to why we have stalled projects. The Ministry has also rationalised the budget requirement to ensure adequate funds for completion of all the ongoing projects. It has further continued to engage with the National Treasury to prioritise infrastructure development. We request the National Assembly to support the construction of infrastructure through budgetary allocation for adequate financing mechanism. As we speak, we do not have a single allocation from the budget, for the construction of any stadium. I, therefore, request this House, as we look at many other priorities in the country, let sports facilities become part of your priority. This is geared for timely realisation of the CHAN and the Africa Cup of Nations. We are exploring ways of collaborating with the private sector to enable them construct a modern sports infrastructure. The ongoing review of the sports policy will provide clarity on this matter. We are reviewing the policy to know how best the private sector can do the stadium. As a matter of fact, the Government should not be owning stadia. That is my personal position. All over the world, governments do not own stadia. It costs a lot of money to the taxpayer with little return. If it was owned by the private sector, it would commercialise it and would be available for sports activities. In a country like the United Kingdom (UK), the only stadium that is owned by the Government is the Wembley Stadium. The rest is owned by the private companies and they are always available for sporting activities. This is the way to go. Public- Private Partnership (PPP) and other modalities must be applied to make sure that those stadia are well maintained so that we do not, after every 10 years, put billions of monies to refurbish facilities that should be income generating."
}