Ababu Namwamba Is The Best Sports CS We Have, Former Boston Marathon Winner Wesley Korir Says

• Former Boston Marathon champion Wesley Korir said Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba was revolutionising sports in Kenya
• Korir lauded Namwamba for putting more effort into the identification and nurturing of talents from the grassroots
• He said it was wrong for Kenya Kwanza Alliance leaders to criticise Namwamba when in fact, he is the best Sports CS the country has ever had

Nairobi - Former Boston Marathon champion Wesley Korir has dismissed claims of mismanagement of Kenyan athletes levelled against Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba.

In a series of tweets, Korir disagreed with Kenya Kwanza Alliance leaders who slammed the youthful CS over allegations of neglecting Kenyan athletes.

What has Namwamba achieved as Sports CS

Korir pointed out that he has worked under many Sports CSs as a former athlete and singled out Namwamba as the best Sports Cabinet Secretary.

"I disagree with you on this, my friend. I have worked with other CSs of sports before and Ababu Namwamba I can tell you without a doubt that he is the best we have had so far as sportsmen of this country. The initiatives he has started, like Talanta Hela, are game changers," Korir said.

Korir, a former Cherangany MP, said it was sad that leaders criticised Namwamba without appreciating the reforms he brought into the ministry, including nurturing talents from the grassroots.

"For a long time as a country, we have been celebrating our athletes after they win but have never invested in their identification and nurturing and for the first time in history, we have a CS that is focusing on that. Sad to see leaders like Samsom Cherargei not seeing this," he added.

Why UDA leaders think Namwamba has underperformed

Sentiments by the former marathon champions come after senior UDA leaders accused CS Namwamba of underperformance.

During an interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday, August 22, Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss Shollei echoed the calls to have Namwamba held to account.

Shollei said it's despicable to see Kenyan athletes endure harsh conditions while out despite the CS and his entourage living large.

She claimed she'd housed some of the athletes when they returned from events, adding that they have horror stories from their experience while representing Kenya.

"This is something I feel very strongly about, and coming from Uasin Gishu, where most of the athletes come from, is very painful. Every time they've landed, I have hosted them (athletes) because the CS is not bothered. They have told me some of the horror stories of what happens to them; they fly economy while ministry officials fly business class, and sometimes they have layovers of 14 hours, and even seeing the management of sports is pain.

If you look at the Talanta Hela app, it doesn't exist, they told us it was launched. The other day when our team went to Tunisia, they were wearing fake uniforms; knock-offs from River Road. There is something wrong with the management of sports," she said.