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{
    "id": 82390,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/82390/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 213,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Kabando wa Kabando",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Youth and Sports",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 31,
        "legal_name": "Kabando wa Kabando",
        "slug": "kabando-kabando"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to state the following:- It is true that football standards in Kenya have sunk to an all time low given the current FIFA rankings, where Kenya is placed at No.114. Football Kenya is currently managing soccer in Kenya as a private company, limited by shares. Unfortunately, that is the body that is recognized by FIFA. In the recent past, there have been complaints about Football Kenya’s inability to manager soccer in this country. Several stakeholders have continuously complained of being left out in the management of sports, like soccer, hence the persistent wrangles in the sector. That is further aggravated by the fact that FKL has not established proper structures to run the sport up to the grassroots level and FKL’s elections, which are long overdue, have not been held. They are set for November 2010 without any guidelines and, therefore, cannot be inclusive. The Ministry has put in place measures to ensure that the wrangles will come to an end in the shortest time possible. Those measures include the re-launching of the sports policy which was passed in this House in 2005 to ensure the smooth running of all the sports bodies. There will be submission to this House of the Sports Bill to address the most concrete and deep seated problems in soccer which include wrangles, mismanagement of finances, illegitimacy of all office holders and lack of credibility of the same. In addition, the Ministry is actively engaging FIFA to press for an inclusive election that will herald a new office, elected fairly and democratically and which is representative, from the grassroots. That office, I hope, will bring sanity to soccer in this country. To this end, my Ministry, in consultation with stakeholders, is compiling a list of all active football clubs in Kenya to maintain an up to date register. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, hon. Members may wish to know that the decision for FKL officials to remain in office has been informed by the knowledge that any action against FKL by the Government may make FIFA to ban soccer in Kenya. It is important to note that FIFA’s ban can jeopardize our African Cup of Nations Campaign and the Under 20 qualifiers, which are both ongoing. If this happens, a lot of players may miss opportunities to further their professional career outside the country. At the same time, FIFA has directly expressed to me the desire to see an all inclusive election in Kenya within the next three months. On the appointment of the coach, it is a well known fact that the FKL leadership has had wrangles regarding the appointment of the national coach and mishandled this matter. They are unable to put in place proper mechanisms of appointing coaches for our national team. It may be worth noting that the current poor performance by the national teams, that is Harambee Stars, the Under 20 and the Under 17 is not entirely as a result of poor selection of coaches, but rather the overall mismanagement of soccer in Kenya. Currently, the appointment of national football coaches is the responsibility of the FKL. The Government, however, is working hard to ensure all inclusive elections are held, as already stated, and that proper management structures are introduced in the association; this will herald a proper mechanism of hiring the national coach. On the question of disharmony between players, reports of disharmony among the team players have been attributed to delegation---"
}