Ababu Namwamba Initiates First Steps of Lifting Kenya’s Ban by FIFA After Meeting FKF President Nick Mwendwa

• Kenya has officially begun the process to have the ban placed on it by the world governing body for football, FIFA, lifted
• The new Sports Cabinet Secretary, Ababu Namwamba, has expressed optimism that Kenya will soon be back on the global map
• Kenya was banned by FIFA earlier this year after the government ejected the Football Kenya Federation officials from office

New Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba has indicated that he has taken the initial steps to ensure that Kenya's ban by FIFA has been lifted as soon as possible.

Namwamba took his oath of office alongside other Cabinet Secretaries in a ceremony presided over by President William Ruto at the State House on Thursday.

During his vetting before the National Assembly last week, Namwamba promised that immediately he was cleared to take over from Amina Mohamed, he would take the necessary steps to ensure that the ban had been lifted.

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FIFA banned Kenya in February after citing government interference which contradicts its clauses. Ms.Mohamed had replaced the Football Kenya Federation led by Nick Mwendwa with a series of committees chaired by retired judge Aaron Ringera.

Unconfirmed reports intimated that Namwamba met with Mwendwa yesterday. The CS thereafter posted:

"On my day 1 in office today I engaged FIFA on the phone to commence the process of resolving the impasse that has seen Kenya banned by the world football governing body. Government is committed to returning Kenyan football to normalcy in sync with the rule of law and public good."

Kenya's ban has affected the national teams which have failed to participate in regional and international qualifiers. Kenyan clubs have also failed to participate in inter-club competitions, while Kenyan referees have been omitted from FIFA events such as the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.

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Namwamba's full in-tray as he begins tenure as Sports CS

Sports Brief had earlier reported that With no known sports background to talk about, many might be cagey about Ababu 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.