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Sports Cabinet Secretary Ambassador Amina Mohammed, Sports Principal Secretary Kirimi Kaberia and members of the Sports, Tourism and culture parliamentary committee conducted a much-publicised tour of the Nyayo National Stadium on Thursday.
The stadium has been undergoing renovations occasioning its closure and unavailability for sports activities for close to two years now.
They could not give a substantive response to queries about why the renovations, which were initially set to take only a couple of months, have taken so long and were at pains to assure Kenyans when the facility would be reopened. It was a case of the same old story of the past nineteen months or so being regurgitated.
Since the stadium renovations began, three Cabinet Secretaries have been at the helm of the Sports Ministry - Hassan Wario, Rashid Echesa and now Ambassador Mohammed.
It is, indeed, quite a shame that the same claims that were being peddled by Wario and Echesa vis-à-vis the renovations may very well be the same that Madam CS adopts.
They could not say how long it would take but now all indications suggest it could take forever and no one at the Sports Ministry would be bothered.
While addressing the press and ‘assuring’ us, another drama was being scripted at Moi International Sports centre, Kasarani. Sports Kenya Director General Pius Metto may not a well-known figure among Kenyans but he is the head honcho at the body mandated to run government owned sports facilities in the country.
The body used to be called Sports Stadium Management Board (SSMB) before their name changed to Sports Kenya.
A name change that should ideally signal a fresh start seems to have done as their ineptness remains. Metto took it upon himself to drop a bombshell on Friday, just a day after the Minister had toured Nyayo.
The gist of the matter is that Sports Kenya had declared that Gor Mahia would not play their Caf Confederation Cup quarter final match against Morocco’s RS Berkane on April 7 at Kasarani.
Metto put out a letter showing that the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) had booked the venue for an expo scheduled to run from the 3rd to the 7th of April.
Now we have nothing against the KAM and the expo. They can host all the expos they want to. What I worry about is that Metto’s organisation has forgotten its role and probably need some refresher courses.
Their role is to run, manage and ensure upkeep of government sports facilities across the country - of which Kasarani happens to be the crown jewel - for sports matters.
And while, they are free to subsidise their income from hiring out the venues from time to time, priority should always be given to sports teams and events.
In the end, he had no option but to give in to the pressure from Kenyans on social media.
But still, there is very little upside in this story for Gor Mahia and the sports sector as a whole.
The expo has been shortened, yes. But! People will gallivant on the playing surface for some three days and then Gor Mahia shall be expected to take to that same bruised pitch! Priorities! Priorities! Priorities!
When shall sports be given the respect it has earned and deserves in this country?
