It’s still unfathomable to think about what the Kenya Amputee Football Team went through at the office of the Ministry of Sports. Is this the way to treat our sportsmen and women?
The Ministry of Sports is now under pressure after Nominated MP David Ole Sankok, has threatened the Sports and Heritage Cabinet Secretary, Rashid Mohammed Echesa to pay the Kenya amputee football team their Ksh. 2.3 million allowances or risk being impeached.
According to the Mr. Sankok, it was shameful for the team to spend the night at the CS’s boardroom on Thursday adding that officials linked to the mistreatment of the team should be punished for the mess.
“This team should get its rights. It represented the country,” he said.
Sankok who represents persons living disabilities in Parliament told the CS to prepare to go home if he does not pay the team in full this week promising to table the matter in Parliament.
“They should be proud of the team. The players deserved a warm reception, not sleeping in the boardroom. National football team Harambee Stars has never achieved such results,” he said.
The team competed at the Amputee World Cup in Mexico and finished 12th overall and second in Africa out of the 24 participating countries.
Mr. Sankok told CS Echesa to tread carefully lest he face the same fate as his predecessor Hassan Wario.
The team was stranded at the Ministry of Sports headquarters, located on the second floor of Kencom House building at Nairobi’s Central Business District. The squad of 15 players and four officials were awaiting payment of their allowances totalling about Ksh. 2 million from the government.
However, neither Sports CS Rashid Echesa nor his PS Kirimi Kaberia or any official from the Ministry was there to address their concerns.
On Friday, the CS met the team and promised to pay its dues.
It’s now just a waiting game to see if the Ministry of Sports will honor it’s promise to pay the players. What do you make of this whole situation?