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"id": 839803,
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"speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
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"id": 210,
"legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
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"content": "I did that so that anywhere she goes, she is recognized as a Kenyan diplomat, hence, marketing and giving a good image of the country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have had other greats, including my namesake and good friend, Moses Kiptanui, who was also the first Kenyan man to win the Golden Circuit and walked home with a million dollars, and has done very well. There are a few who have done very well, but there are others, like the great Henry Rono, who fell by the wayside. I agree fully with Sen. Murkomen that we need to find a way of honouring and supporting these athletes in their sunset years. If we are now able as country to set up social safety net funds for old people, some of whom have never done anything for this country, we should be able to set up a non-contributory pensions scheme by the Government to honour these athletes in their sunset days. Mr. Speaker, Sir, when some of them end up with either injuries or run into alcohol and other things, they become quite miserable and people laugh at them, without remembering that when their flame was burning, it was bright enough for everyone to see. The stock of athletes in this country was captured by one young man called Peter Rono in the Seoul Olympics. After he won a gold medal in 5,000 metres, he was asked to make a comment and he said that it is easier to win an Olympic gold medal than to qualify in Kenya to go to the Olympics because of talent in this country. If we are to nurture these talents, it would be a major foreign exchange earner. When I was in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I included Kenyan athletes as one of the major pillars of our foreign policy. I even instructed the protocol department that every time our athletes go to marathons and other places, they must be accompanied by a Government protocol officer. It is the Government protocol officer who would help them to talk to the media before and after any event, especially when there is victory. This has not happened. I want to urge that the issues that are in the prayers of this Motion be looked at very carefully and implemented to the letter. There is a young man and friend of mine called Cherono, who went to some country in the Middle East. In desperation to earn a living, he changed his religion and name and became Saaeed Shaheen. Eventually, he was found taking beer and was chased away. He came back to Kenya after they had exhausted his energy to run. We can help our athletes by setting up high altitude training centres. In Bungoma County, together with you, we have set up a High Altitude Training Centre in Mt. Elgon, where great athletes like Hellen Masai, Benjamin Jipcho and others come from. Our High Altitude Training Centre is almost complete and will compete with Lorna Kiplagat‟s High Altitude Training Centre in Iten. In the counties where we produce athletes like Kericho, Nandi, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Uasin Gishu and Trans Nzoia, I would want to see such training centres built. I want to tell my tycoon friend from Nyeri that we have had very good athletes from Nyeri and he has the capacity to set up one to help the young athletes. We have had great runners like John Ngugi, Wanjiru and others from Mt. Kenya region. However, we lack facilities, the 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."
}