MEDIA RELEASE
14th November 2020
Whitesands Hotel, Mombasa

The Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and Heritage Amina Mohamed addressed a joint session of the National Assembly Departmental Committee for Sports, Culture and Tourism. She expressed appreciation to the Chairman and Members of the Committee for their continued support and engagement with the Ministry. Recognized the joint retreat as an essential part of our joint work and pay gratitude to Members for their availability and commitment to the process. Recalled the WTO process and its attendant exigencies occasioning your absence from joint sessions with the Committee. Thank Members for their kind indulgence and express continued devotion to this unique working relationship between Parliament and the Executive, guided by the Constitution. Addressed the hardships that have been occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and the stimulus efforts by the Ministry to cushion sportspersons and members of the creative sector from its debilitating economic hardships including:

1. The stimulus package provided support to 2359 vulnerable sportspersons from 92 Federations in the Country in the form of a monthly stipend of Kshs.10,000 (Ten Thousand Shillings) for three months w.e.f. 30th May 2020.
2. In order to facilitate the safe resumption of sports and cultural activities, the Ministry launched the resumptions of Sports and reopening of cultural agencies protocols which have facilitated return to sports and re-opening of the National Museums of Kenya, Kenya National Library, the Kenya Cultural Centre and the National Archives.
3. Facilitated athletes to resume international competitions. Supported the London and Prague Marathons as well as the Diamond Classic League
4. Repatriated elite athletes who were stranded abroad at the onset of the pandemic.
5. Opened the Kenya Cultural Centre to performing artists for free during the pandemic
6. 100m stimulus package for the creative sector

She also highlighted the successes that the Ministry has registered this year, despite the prevailing global health circumstances, including:

1. Hosted a very successful World Athletics Continental Tour dubbed the Kip Keino Classic on 3rd October 2020.
   Registered 222 Sports Federations and organizations were registered through the Sports Registrar’s Office.
2. Trained 72,812 on anti-doping education. completed 3,228 doping control tests and prosecuted 81 Anti-Doping Rule Violations.
3. Completed the full refurbishment of the Stadion Hotel and construction of the new Annex indoor Arena at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
4. 95% completion rate at the Kenya Academy of Sports complex.
5. Championed a new COVID-19 testing centre at the Institute for Primate Research
6. Commenced the refurbishment of the Vasco Da Gama Monument
7. Competed the construction of the Maktaba Kuu (KNLS)
8. Established the first Presidential Archives and Libraries in Kenya since independence in tandem with global cultural and heritage standards.
9. Established the Heroes Council for the first time since the passing of the law in 2014.
10. Employed technological collaborations with Google Kenya and Google Arts and Culture to digitize the National Museums of Kenya

Amb. Mohamed underlined the critical need to enhance Budgetary Allocation to the Ministry to be able to finance all its operations.