Ababu left impressive record as Sports Cabinet Secretary

By Kenn Okaka

The ever-vibrant, youthful politician Ababu Namwamba made a triumphant return to the cabinet when President William Ruto appointed him to the Ministry of Youth Affairs, the Creative Economy, and Sports. Like a fish to water, Ababu took over the mantle at the Ministry with gusto, guts, and bravado. He rolled up his sleeves and got down to work immediately.

The Cabinet Secretary took charge of the Sports Ministry at a time when his in-tray was already overflowing. Kenya was under a FIFA suspension; our athletes were on the brink of being banned by World Athletics and the World Anti-Doping Agency due to a runaway doping menace, and the sports sector was in disarray. In hindsight, Ababu has given his best to the job, and it is fair to say that he is the best Sports CS Kenya has had across different governments in a long time. He surely deserves an appointment to the cabinet again when the President appoints his next cabinet.

Ababu can be credited with turning around sports in Kenya. In particular, he actively spearheaded the successful joint bid to host the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2027, which Kenya will jointly host with East African neighbors Uganda and Tanzania. Just a month ago, Kenya’s Under 17 ladies’ team, the Junior Starlets, made history by qualifying for the FIFA U-17 World Cup. This is the first time that a Kenyan team has qualified for any FIFA World Cup competition, and Ababu’s support as CS for Sports played a crucial role in making this possible.

Sports stakeholders believe that Ababu has done a fantastic job compared to his predecessors. Under his leadership, Kenya got FIFA to lift the suspension of football, and we have AFCON coming to Kenya for the first time. Many stakeholders in the sports sector feel that Ababu’s hands-on approach and deep understanding of the sports sector have been instrumental in his success.

Ababu had previously served in the same docket under the late President Mwai Kibaki, who appointed him as Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs from 2012 to 2013. Apart from the FIFA suspension and a revamp in football, Ababu was key in resolving long-standing problems with the Kenya Swimming Federation and Kenya Badminton Federation (KBF), both of which were suspended by their respective world federations due to years of leadership wrangles.

Furthermore, Kenya has had long-standing problems with poor sports infrastructure. Stadiums remained in shambles, and renovations and construction of stadiums costing billions of taxpayers’ money had stalled. Upon his appointment, sports infrastructure development resumed. The ongoing renovation at Kasarani Stadium, for instance, now looks like a renovation with purpose. The Talanta Hela Sports City complex, if completed according to the plan, will be the best football sporting facility in East Africa. It was during his stint as Sports CS that the Talanta Hela Initiative was actualized, which is credited with helping identify, nurture talent, and award excellence in sports.

Ababu has taken to listening keenly and understanding sports stakeholders. His contributions to meetings around sports depict a minister who truly understands his role and has passion for his docket. Under his leadership, funding for junior teams has been turned around. Before his appointment, other sports ministers focused on senior teams only, leaving youth teams with funding problems.

Sports stakeholders across various disciplines have called on President Ruto to consider reappointing Ababu to the docket even as they wish him well in his future endeavors.

Kenn Okaka is a communications expert and football stakeholder.