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{
    "id": 874776,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/874776/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 331,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kanduyi, FORD-K",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Wafula Wamunyinyi",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 291,
        "legal_name": "Athanas Misiko Wafula Wamunyinyi",
        "slug": "athanas-wamunyinyi"
    },
    "content": " Thank you very much, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me the chance to also contribute to this important Bill regarding sports. First, I support this Bill for the introduction and establishment of a Fund and the amendments to the Sports Act, 2013. I have listened to Members contribute and I did not want to repeat the things they have said. I would like to stress that the Chair of the Committee should look at the contributions by Members so that when it comes to the final stage, they are taken into account. I agree with Members that there is need to establish and create this Fund which should be able to support sports teams from the bottom up - from the junior teams in the villages across the country in our constituencies and wards to the premier league and the national level. It does not necessarily mean that we should only support football. It is all the sports disciplines. I want to stress one important point; if indeed this Fund will be established - and I hope it will - it should be properly funded. The Fund is even recognised in the Constitution. We have to make sure that there is adequate funding to sustain it. It has to receive consistent and steady funding so that it is sustained and should propel us to realise the goals that are envisaged. That is also recognised in the Constitution. It is clear that for a fund to function, you need to put funds in there. This Fund should not just be established but it should be functional, operational and help support the establishment of good systems to run sports in our country. We have talked about the issue of sports academies for a long time. The focus should be on those small stadia and fields in the rural areas where young people train for football, athletics, rugby, basketball and so on. This can only happen if you are well-organised and have a facility in every area where those talents will be spotted, brought up and professionalised so that they understand the benefits of sports. The tournaments we run in our constituency, Hon. Deputy Speaker - and I am sure you also run one in your constituency - merely help to bring together different groups, wards and teams, build friendships and cohesion in the constituency and help to identify the best talents in a particular area. I support my colleagues, particularly those from the Rift Valley. Hon. Kibunguchy spoke with a lot of passion about the establishment of an international facility in the North Rift where people come to train for free. There are some people who sometimes even beat Kenyans in athletics. Hon. Deputy Speaker, I have attended international events with you. People come to train in the North Rift and when they go to run in Moscow, Beijing and Japan, they beat our athletes. They train in our training facilities in the North Rift. I agree with Hon. Kibunguchy that we should develop world class facilities in the North Rift so that those who wish to train - and not necessarily people from outside Kenya but even locally from the Coast, Mt. Kenya, North Eastern - can come and train there for a fee. They will pay some fee. This will be an industry for the local people and the country. People will come in for sports tourism, enjoy the facilities and pay some fee. This is something we have talked about for a long time since you and I have been here. We have been discussing the establishment of such facilities. I hope the amendments to this Act and the establishment of this Fund will go a long way in addressing the challenges that have existed and help us to realise the goals. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}