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{
"id": 839770,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/839770/?format=api",
"text_counter": 72,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Murkomen",
"speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
"speaker": {
"id": 440,
"legal_name": "Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen",
"slug": "kipchumba-murkomen"
},
"content": "built a very beautiful stadium. I always ask why we cannot invest in our facilities, yet these people have done a great job. Mr. Speaker, Sir, Conseslus Kipruto is now our star after Ezekiel Kemboi. We have many of them. There is also my neighbour at home, Evans Rutto, who won the London Marathon in 2004 and held the London Marathon record for a long period of time. The other one is Joseph Chebet. I know these athletes personally. This is so nostalgic for me because I represent them and know their concerns and interests. Asbel Kiprop has shone for this country for a long time. The problem in this nation is that we reap where we have not sown. The athletes work very hard and train alone in very deplorable conditions. On the issue of the Kamariny Stadium, I want to thank the national Government because the stadium is under renovation. This is a stadium that has existed since the colonial times and it has taken many years for it to be constructed. Even the pace of construction is slow. I urge the Sports Stadium Management Authority (SSMA) to ensure that they expedite that process, because we cannot have our athletes training in the conditions they are doing, and we are here to celebrate the glory. Mr. Speaker, Sir, when we talk about marketing Kenya, who is a better marketer for this Republic than these athletes? When I saw His Excellency the President in New York launching the direct flights from Nairobi to New York, I expected him to go with a few New York marathon winners because they are more recognized there than all of us who are sitting here combined. Those are the people who must be used by this country. Today, we are only talking about athletics, but there is more we can say about sports in this country. We can talk a lot about football, where my greater interest is, despite the fact that I have grown up with athletes. This is also one area that we are not investing in enough. Mr. Speaker, Sir, talk about Mariga, his brother, Victor, Oliech and Mike Okoth, whose son now is playing for Liverpool and Belgium. The way to change and unite this country more is through sports. When we watch sports in this nation, we never think about the tribe of the athlete, football player or rugby player. Humphrey Kayange, the brother, Collins Injera, and all the other rugby players have made this country great. In fact, it was so discouraging to see the other day Brand Kenya playing around with them in terms of their sponsorship, when they were going for the Rugby Sevens Series. It is time we woke up. This Senate needs to push for the things we have enumerated here, starting with proper facilities. We need to have proper facilities so that, when we demand that we want to see success in the sports sector, we must have invested in sports facilities. Sports facilities do not have to be constructed by the Government. Stadia all over the world are now privately owned. We just need to create a conducive environment for private investors to come and invest in building stadia and give them the incentives. This will ensure that young footballers and athletes prosper. Their interests, as investors, will be covered, but at the same time, we will get the best interest for our country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we also need to provide support to these athletes. It is a shame to see people laughing at many former athletes and current athletes in this region. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}