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Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports, and the Arts Ababu Namwamba has directed the National Olympic Committee – Kenya (NOCK) to make public the list of the delegation to the Paris 2024 Olympics.

This directive follows pressure from the public, led by former Kenya 7s star Dennis Ombachi and Kenyan activists, who have demanded clarity regarding the attendees for the upcoming Olympics.

Pressure on Namwamba

On July 9, 2024, activists called for transparency and accountability in the selection process of individuals accompanying athletes to the prestigious event.

In a demand letter signed by lawyer Ochiel Dudley, the activists emphasized the need for the Sports Cabinet Secretary to disclose the names of those who would be part of the official delegation.

In a letter to NOCK Secretary General Francis Mutuku, Namwamba stressed the importance of making the delegation list public, in line with the government’s transparency and accountability policy.

“Do further note that in line with the Government’s transparency and accountability policy, the full Team Kenya delegation should be made public by NOCK,” Namwamba stated.

The CS urged the committee to expedite the finalization of the delegation, with a priority on athletes, coaches, and medical teams as discussed and resolved by the Preparatory and Management Committee (PMC) and NOCK.

“Finalisation of the Team Kenya delegation to the Paris 2024 Olympics comprised of athletes, officials, and medics, detailing the specific role of each member of the delegation. The delegation should be kept at the barest minimum as directed by myself and affirmed by the PMC. The priority is athletes, their coaches, and medics,” he stated.

Namwamba’s request

Namwamba also requested NOCK to hasten the rationalization of the provisional budget as agreed by NOCK and the Principal Secretary for the State Department of Sports.

He emphasized that the budget should reflect the number of athletes, allowances, and rewards.

“Rationalisation of the provisional budget initially agreed between NOCK and the Principal Secretary/Accounting Officer for the State Department of Sports. The final budget should reflect the actual number of qualified athletes, the revised scale of allowances and rewards for athletes (Revised 2023), and the austerity measures the Ministry is implementing across all expenditure centres,” he stated.

Additionally, Namwamba called for the preparation of a detailed report on the process, status, and cost of the ceremonial, training, and competition kit for Team Kenya procured by NOCK.

“Please do note that both the Team Kenya delegation and the final budget should be presented at the next meeting of the PMC,” he added.

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