Parliamentarians push for fair pay and recognition for athletes

President William Ruto proudly received the Olympic Champions flag from Team Kenya Captain Faith Kipyegon at the Eldoret State Lodge when he hosted the athletes for breakfast on Aug 15, 2024. [PCS]

Members of Parliament have called for Kenya to participate in more sports at future Olympic Games.

After giving a standing ovation to Team Kenya for their success in the recent Paris Olympics, the legislators stressed the need to invest in a wide range of sports for better representation and continued global success.

The MPs challenged the Youth and Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to expand Kenya's participation in more disciplines at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Led by Mwingi West MP Charles Nguna, the MPs observed that in this year’s Olympics Kenya's participation was limited to athletics, and all 11 medals Kenya earned came solely from athletic disciplines.

Nguna called for the Ministry of Sports, Athletics Kenya, and the National Olympic Committee to invest heavily in other disciplines to enhance and broaden Kenya’s participation in the next Olympics.

“It is crucial that we broaden our sports coverage. By increasing our participation in a wide range of sports, we can enhance our chances of winning more medals,” he said adding, “Of course, we ranked top in the African continent but we still need to do a lot to so that we can start competing with countries like the United States and China who bagged over 100 medals.”

Nguna’s sentiments were echoed by his Endebes counterpart Robert Pokose who said the work for the new Cabinet Secretary for Sports is cut out to ensure that he can widen the scope and include all disciplines ahead of the next Olympics.

“We hope that the CS will be able to act under the new dispensation to make sure that we present athletes in almost all games next Olympics games in Los Angeles in 2028,” said Pukose.

He said the country should have athletes in all disciplines.

“We have the Turkana and Pokot communities who are known for their skill in spear-throwing. So, in the next Olympics, we should include those who excel in spear throwing, shot put and other similar events,” he added.

Baringo Women Representative Florence Jematiah however expressed concerns about the performance of Team Kenya in this year's Olympics, noting that while Kenya typically excels in various athletic disciplines, this year's results were disappointing.

While highlighting the decline in the branding and recognition of Kenyan athletes, the woman MP said the athletes seem to have been neglected compared to previous years when they would be highly celebrated by both government and private sector.

“I expected to see extensive coverage of athletes like Faith Kipyegon, who delivered an outstanding performance, winning a gold medal and breaking her Olympic record. Such achievements deserve more attention,” she said.

She urged the government to establish incentives to reward athletes for their exemplary performance across different disciplines.

Sotik MP Julius Sigei urged the National Olympic Committee of Kenya officials to adequately prepare athletes for the next Olympics and establishment of a reward scheme to honour sportsmen and women who excel in different events.

Sigowet/Soin MP Justice Kemei suggested a re-evaluation of Kenya’s sports strategy noting that while Kenya has excelled in track races in the past, recent stiff competition from countries like the USA and Ethiopia poses challenges.

“My advice to CS Murkomen is to focus on areas where we have historically done well, such as the steeplechase and middle distances like the 1,500 meters, while also exploring new disciplines,” Kemei said.

Their sentiments come hours after President William Ruto announced that all the gold medalists from the recent Paris Olympics will be awarded Sh3 million each.

This means Beatrice Chebet, who won both the 5000m and 10,000m, will receive Sh6 million.

Meanwhile, Faith Kipyegon will receive Sh3 million for winning the 1500m race, and Emmanuel Wanyonyi will get Sh3 million for winning the 800m race.

Silver medalists will receive Sh2 million each, including Kipyegon, who also earned silver in the 5000m race, and Ronald Kwemoi, who came second in the men’s 5000m race.

In the bronze category, Benson Kipruto, who finished third in the men’s marathon, and Abraham Kibiwot, who excelled in the men’s 3000m steeplechase, will each receive Sh1 million.

Other bronze winners, Mary Moraa, Hellen Obiri, and Faith Cherotich, will also receive Sh1 million each.

The President also celebrated the greatest marathon runner Eluid Kipchoge, saying even though he didn't finish the race, he remains a legend.

According to President Ruto, the government is working on expanding Kenya's participation in a broader range of sports in future Olympics.

To achieve that, the government is working on the establishment of over 20 sports academies to identify, train, and support young talent.