Ababu Namwamba: Kenya’s Sports Beacon of Hope As Top Lawyer Takes Over From Amina Mohamed

• Following his nomination as the new Sports Cabinet Secretary, Ababu Namwamba takes over a sector in need of an open-heart surgery
• Namwamba's first task will probably be to ensure that Kenya complies with FIFA's terms that will see the indefinite ban lifted
• He will also need to follow up on the full implementation of the Sports Act, which he introduced in 2013

President of Kenya, William Ruto finally unveiled his cabinet, which many pundits have argued was used to satisfy his political loyalists.

With the new team came Ababu Namwamba, who is now poised to take over Youth Affairs, Sports and Arts in the country, pending vetting and confirmation by the National Assembly.

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Namwamba is not new to the office, having served in the same position for 6 months in 2012 under the regime of the late President Mwai Kibaki.

With no known sports background to talk about, many might be cagey about Namwamba's wherewithal to steer a sector that is knee-deep in the mud. A lawyer by profession, Namwamba is known for his diplomatic efforts and one would have thought that perhaps he could have made a better fit in the Foreign Affairs docket.

But if his six-month tenure in 2012 is anything to go by, then maybe Namwamba is the person for the job. As the Star reports, his notable achievement was the enactment of the Sports Act 2013.

Whilst it was a step in the right direction, its full implementation remains a major challenge for many sports federations in the country, which to a larger extent has formed the basis of the issues bedevilling the sports sector.

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Namwamba's first task will be to see that his brainchild has been implemented, but perhaps more demanding will be to broker a truce between the Football Kenya Federation, the government and the world governing body, FIFA. Kenya remains suspended indefinitely.

The former member of parliament will also have to deal with the doping menace that is threatening to cripple the athletics sector in the country. That, coupled with Kenya's recent dwindling performances in world events, will be a major issue under his tenure.

Overall, funding remains a major concern for many sports federations. The Kenya Premier League is without a sponsor and as a self-confessed football fan, Namwamba will hope to coordinate with FKF to make the local league marketable to sponsors.

The new CS will also need to work with the President to ensure that Kenya has accredited stadia. The 46-year-old has in the past harboured the dream of Kenya hosting the Africa Cup of Nations, but that cannot go forth with no approved stadia in the country.

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Nick Mwendwa leads FKF officials in reopening official offices

Sports Brief had earlier reported that the Football Kenya Federation President Nick Mwendwa, on Tuesday morning, led other members of the federation back to official offices.

Mwendwa announced last week that he was back in office, following the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) decision to withdraw graft charges against him.

He had stepped aside last year and delegated his duties to the vice-chairperson Doris Petra. The offices at Kandanda House had been closed down following Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed's decision to disband the federation.