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Nyachae Shows the Way Forward for His Cabinet Colleagues
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- Published on Tuesday, 17 July 2007 00:16
Faced with an expensive trip to the costly fashion capital of Milan for next year's World Club Volleyball Championships, the African queens need a healthy financial base to prepare for the trip. Besides spending on the tickets and other travel-related expenses, the golden girls of African volleyball also need to invest equally in quality training and recruitment if they hope to make a mark at the world tournament.
At a cocktails party to celebrate their African success, KPC's acting chairman Darius Mbela and acting managing director George Okungu made a passionate appeal for financial assistance towards their Milan trip.
And host Energy Minister Simeon Nyachae took the cue and offered a personal donation of half a million shillings after which cash donations and pledges came rolling in at an impromptu funds drive that realised about Sh1 million in less than half an hour!
Better still, Nyachae directed his ministry officials to set aside a budget in the Energy ministry's estimates for Kenya Pipeline's preparations for the Milan show next year.
Nyachae's directive is an indication that the government can actually do something for Kenyan sport. Currently, the Kenya Football Federation gets nothing from the government for the Harambee Stars' campaign to qualify for next year's World Cup and Africa Nations' Cup finals. Ulinzi Stars did not get a penny from the State when they went to the Cecafa Club Championship in Mwanza where, incidentally, fellow soldiers APR of Rwanda play Uganda's SC Villa in the regional tournament's final today.
APR are bankrolled by the Rwanda government and it is President Paul Kagame who is responsible for the Cecafa purse in Mwanza.
That the Energy ministry can factor volleyball into their budget surely means that with a bit of muscle, Ochillo Ayacko's Sports docket can also get a healthier purse from Treasury.
Nyachae has set the ball rolling and we hope the officials at the Sports ministry will take up the challenge.
However, the Energy minister's offer came largely because of Pipeline's great performances over the years and the transparent and efficient manner in which the Kenya Volleyball Federation has been run lately.
Perhaps if the Kenya Football Federation takes an equally translucent management approach, the Ministry of Tourism would include them in their budget for 2009-10 so that Kenya could enjoy the spill-overs from the 2010 World Cup which will be hosted by South Africa.
Yesterday, an unsung hero was laid to rest in Mosocho, Kisii. Dutch Catholic missionary, Anthony Koning, died on April 28 in a road accident that ended the life of an astute sportsman.
Bro. Anthony, who arrived in Kenya in 1965, discovered former Kenya champion Kennedy Ondiek's talent in the sprints and also brought up former 400m champ Kennedy Ochieng at Cardinal Otunga High School, Mosocho. Tusker and Harambee Stars soccer star Paul Onyiera, basketball legend Ronnie Owino and hockey superstar Cliff Odendo were all products of Bro. Anthony's love for sports.
What was more striking about the late Bro. Anthony was his ability to keep Cardinal Otunga High at the top both in academics and on the sports field, just like his one-time rival Bro. Colm O'Connel has done at St Patrick's, Iten.
RIP, Bro. Anthony Koning. My condolences to the Brothers of Our Lady Mother of Mercy and the Moscocho and Oyugis communities for whom Bro. Koning worked selflessly.
