Former Kenya 7s star turned celebrity chef Dennis Ombachi has slammed Deputy President Kithure Kindiki for advocating for a system of education that focuses on each learner’s strengths and their choice of pathways.

Reacting to a statement where Kindiki said that learners with clear talents in football should not be bothered by teaching them Mathematics and History, Ombachi said even sportsmen should have various skills.

“Sports is what we do, not what we are. We don’t have structures and systems in place to do this. Less than one per cent of sportsmen in Kenya will sustain a living throughout their life through sports,” Ombachi remarked.

Expiry date for sportspersons

“Always chase those papers and add different soft skills to your arsenal to future-proof. Your career as a sportsman has an expiry date; your mind and networks don’t.”

Speaking in Tharaka Nithi County on Thursday, August 21, 2025, Kindiki noted that talented learners should not waste their time studying subjects that are irrelevant to their skills because sports careers have a shorter time span.

“Why waste three years in high school for someone whose skill and talent are already clear? Then you teach them about Mathematics, History, and tell them about Vasco da Gama. How does Vasco da Gama assist them?” Kindiki posed.

“The child is a footballer, and they only need to be nurtured and improved, and they are good to go,” he stated.

Early retirement

“We don’t need to waste their early years because with sports and games, people retire very early. So, if they take a lot of time in school reading things that are not relevant to their skill, you waste their time.”

Kindiki equally remarked that the current government had made plans to construct sports infrastructure to tap into the industry that had for a long time remained untapped.

“Prepare them early so that they are up and running early because the retirement age for sport is quite early compared to other areas,” Kindiki said.

“We have invested in the development of sporting infrastructure more than any other administration. We have also come up with sports academies; we have already broken ground for 37 sports academies, where some schools are being built to ensure they train learners. The target is to construct one in each constituency,” he added.