There is a continued onslaught on Sports and Youth Affairs Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba over his incompetence and appetite for women. Led by President William Ruto’s close allies, CS Ababu was questioned by MPs who accused him of dining and wining with his girlfriends as athletes underwent untold suffering in Berlin, Germany.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei claimed that Ababu and his girlfriends flew first class and booked themselves in 5-star hotels. All the enjoyment by Ababu was at the expense of athletes who flew economy class and had to share hotel rooms before the Paralympics.
Ms Shollei faulted Mr Namwamba for the hardships that Kenyan athletes have faced at the ongoing World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
“This is something I feel very strongly about, coming from Uasin Gishu where most of the athletes come from. It’s very painful. I listen to them. Every time they’ve landed home – from Boston and London Marathons – they’ve come to my home here in Kitisuru where I hosted them because no Cabinet Secretary or anyone is there for them – I host them. If you look at my Facebook page, I’ve hosted them for breakfast, they’ve sat through lunch and they’ve told me their challenges and when they tell you the horror stories of what happens to them…” Shollei said.
“They fly economy and the Athletics Kenya and Ministry officials are flying business class and first class, sometimes they have a layover of 14 hours and even seeing the management of sports at the moment- it’s painful,” Shollei added.
The Cabinet Secretary was put on the spot by Members of Parliament, with a section of lawmakers calling for his resignation.
Ababu Namwamba however declared that he will not resign from the position despite concerns that he doesn’t have the capacity to optimally run the docket.
Speaking at the National Assembly for reportedly failing in his role as Sports CS, Namwamba insisted that he has been calling the tune at his Ministry ever since he assumed the position in October 2022.
He added that when he got the corner office at the Sports docket, it was in complete shambles but he, alongside other Ministry officials, has gradually been scaling up the department’s operations for the betterment of Kenyan athletes.
“I have not said at all that I am not in control of this Ministry. I am fully in touch and in control of this Ministry but I have made it clear that this is a public institution and it cannot be run as a one-man show. I share responsibilities with my two PSs and technical officers,” said Namwamba.
