Finally, Echesa walking the talk on sports venues

I am loving the new-found energy being exhibited by Sports Cabinet Secretary, Rashid Echesa, lately.

I am talking about his recent visits, especially to the North Rift, where he toured a number of sports facilities issuing renovation ultimatums and deadlines.

We hope the CS’s tour will open a new chapter as we seek to take sports to the next level.

The fact that he has been able to go on the ground and engage the contractors gives us hope that we are on the right track.

The Kipchoge Keino Stadium is especially key considering that this is the "Home of Champions."

Having been closed for long raises a lot of questions and we hope this time round the CS’s order will be heeded and the back and forth on the facility dealt with once for all.

It is a fact that athletes have suffered without Kip Keino Stadium and the re-assurance by the CS once again revived our hopes.

However, the CS needs to make follow-ups if things have to move. He also needs to visit other facilities and ensure that the young talent at the grassroots does not lack anything. We all know that sports is a way of life and with the right facilities, one can eke a living from the same.

I like the fact that the CS has noted that it is one step at a time and there is need to finalise Kip Keino Stadium before moving to the next project.

He has also said that his ministry is keen to tap talent from the grass-roots level and believes the right facilities will play a leading role.

FOLLOW-UP TOUR
It’s good he also realises that North Rift is known of athletics and other sports and would like to see more events held there as part of encouraging youths to participate in various disciplines.

Kamariny in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County is the other venue, where we need to complete the works on the stadium and I am glad the minister had toured the area during his tour of North Rift.

The plan for facilities in the North Rift is expansive because there is also a proposed site for another second stadium in Eldoret and the Uasin Gishu County Government has asked the CS to assist them in building the facility.

Nandi County is also working hard to have two facilities in Kapsabet and this is really good news for the athletes in the region.

The CS needs to take a follow-up tour during next month’s national cross country trials to be held in Eldoret to ensure everything is on course, and that his order is being adhered to. However, the counties need to give the CS support considering that there are regions where such facilities have been completed without the government support.

If Mombasa have put up a number of facilities without government support, I wonder what will happen if the two entities can work together.

This should be the year of action and we should be judged by what we put on the table and not what people say. Good Start Bwana CS Echesa! .
Korir is the chairman of Athletics Kenya's Nairobi branch.