We will make sports lucrative, highly beneficial- DP Kindiki

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has assured sportspeople of the government’s interest in making sports one of the highest-paying sectors in the country.

The DP said the focus on academics alone is a thing of the past, noting the change in approach to learning through the new studying curriculum, which will pay more attention to harnessing talent and nurturing it from formative years to senior levels.

“We have concentrated much on academics and condemned those who are not good at it, yet they are excellent in sports and the creative industry," he stated.

"It is wrong to reduce people’s abilities to how they perform in only one area. In the developed world, sportspeople and artists are among the wealthiest, the most famous and influential people in their countries."

The Deputy President spoke on Thursday when he held consultative talks with sportsmen and women from Embu, Meru and Tharaka Nithi at home in Irunduni, Tharaka Nithi County.

The DP said the era when sports were held in low regard is gone, pointing to how lucrative the sports industry is internationally.

“Footballers, tennis players and other professional players make billions every week. Most jobs can’t match what they earn,” he said.

To make the local sector rise to similar levels, Prof. Kindiki enumerated numerous approaches the administration is exploring, including infrastructure development, improving training facilities and identifying and nurturing talent early on.

In the education sector, the DP noted, the curriculum has deliberately been overhauled to accommodate sports and the creative industry. He said it is no longer a system forcing learners to study aimlessly, but now appreciates the diverse talents of children and the need to nurture them early on to actualise their dreams.

“We chose to improve and perfect the Competency-Based Curriculum instead of abolishing it altogether. The Education reforms have helped us improve the curriculum. It is now Competency-Based Education and Training because it entails wholesome education and training,” he noted.

"Sports infrastructure is critical in exploring talents," he affirmed, highlighting the renovation of Kasarani and Nyayo stadiums, which have been uplifted to international standards.

“When we assumed office, the President, in the first month, prioritised renovation of existing stadiums and the construction of new ones. Today, Kenya is proud because we have two internationally approved stadiums: Kasarani and Nyayo Stadiums have been uplifted to international standards and are hosting CHAN matches and will host Afcon games in 2027,” he said.

In addition to the two, he said Talanta Stadium along Ngong Road in Nairobi is being fast-tracked as it is one of the modern sports facilities in the region, adding that it will be ready for use by next January.

“Talanta Stadium has been constructed from scratch and once done, will be the most splendid, marvellous and modern stadium in this part of the world,” he affirmed.

Other than these, the government, in collaboration with respective county governments, has renovated other stadiums outside Nairobi, including Kinoru, Homa Bay, Bukhungu, Embu, among others.

The DP also said the administration is expanding the Kenya Sports Academy to the Kenya Academy for Sports, Arts and Creatives, which will be a sophisticated, one-stop learning and training shop for all the sportspeople.

Prof. Kindiki also assured the sportsmen and women that they will benefit from the empowerment program he is spearheading across the country.