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{
    "id": 874693,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/874693/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 248,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Funyula, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) Wilberforce Oundo",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13331,
        "legal_name": "Wilberforce Ojiambo Oundo",
        "slug": "wilberforce-ojiambo-oundo-2"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this Bill that is before this House today. I must reiterate that sports are an important aspect of our social, economic and health life. From the outset, we must also appreciate that sports has brought pride to this country but, at the same, time, sports has brought shame to this country due to misbehaviour, doping and other illegal activities. We must also appreciate that over the years, as my colleagues have stated beforehand, we have had cases of under-funding of sports in this country to an extent that we have retarded development of sports. We have been unable to truly exploit the potential that sports bring to this country. I stand to support the Bill because it is more or less like an administrative Bill. It is basically abolishing the National Sports Fund as provided for in the Sports Act of 2013 and replacing the same with the newly passed Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund under the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act. It is what was initially annulled by our Committee on Delegated Legislation but, finally, approved by that Committee after dealing with issues that required to be dealt with. Generally, the Bill is okay save for a few issues that we need to address as a House. I am happy the respective Committee has picked some of them. It is important that we look at them clearly. I am also concerned with the clauses on transition of staff. The Fund is being abolished not because it has had any issues as such but, simply, because we have changed the provisions. We have brought in a broader perspective to the funding of other factors such as universal healthcare and social development. It would be unfair to basically say the staff can only transition to the next level after vetting. There is obvious fear that, that discretion could be misused or abused to an extent of denying some staff employment, kicking them out of practice and generally relieving them from their duties. Probably, we need to be expressly clear what constitutes vetting and the criteria that need to be considered in the process of vetting the staff as they transition to the new Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund. We also had concerns about the role of the administrator who is the Principal Secretary, but we were told that is the progressive way as required under the PFM Act. But we still believe that further amendments need to be made to protect the interests and rights of the staff who are serving in the current board of trustees of the existing fund. In concluding, allow me also to mention that, as I said at the outset, sports are a critical component of our society. We as Members of Parliament should support sports at all costs. We should accord sports sufficient funding and resources. Probably, time might also be nigh now to look at the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) allocation towards sports. A mere 2 per cent of the funds allocated to sports are inadequate to truly tap talents on the ground. There is talent in the rural areas. It might also be important now to revisit the Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund to see how they can support grassroots identification of the various sporting activities. It is also time we enhanced or spread our sports competitiveness so that we are able to be represented and nurture as many sporting activities as possible so that whenever we go for international sporting activities, our activity should only be narrowed to athletics and a few field activities. With those few remarks, I beg to support the Bill. Thank you."
}