TALKING NOTES FOR AMB. (DR.) AMINA MOHAMED, EGH, CAV, CABINET SECRETARY FOR SPORTS, CULTURE AND HERITAGE, DURING THE MEMORIAL AGNES TIROP WORLD CROSS COUNTRY TOUR MEETING AT LOBO VILLAGE, KAPSERET ON FEBRUARY 12, 2022
Ladies and gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to be here today to celebrate the growth of our athletics, to remember our fallen heroine Agnes Tirop and to voice our stand against Gender-based Violence.
I would like to thank World Athletics, under the great leadership of Honorable Lord Sebastian Coe, for awarding Kenya the rights to host today’s round of the inaugural World Cross Country Tour.
Our friend Lord Coe’s confidence in Kenya has seen us host the World Under-18 Championships in 2017 and, just last year, the World Under-20 Championships, and we thank him for this support.
The confidence by World Athletics clearly demonstrates the great work being done in the country by Athletics Kenya, under Lt. Gen. (Retired) Jackson Tuwei, his executives and affiliates who are represented here by our hosts today, Athletics Kenya’s Central Rift branch.
Huge credit also goes to the County Government of Uasin Gishu under His Excellency Governor Jackson Mandago, for being able hosts of memorable sports competitions, and to the management of Lobo Village, led by our marathon legend Ibrahim Hussein.
We all recall the brilliant athletics trials for the 2016 Olympic Games which were held here in Uasin Gishu County, and which attracted an unprecedented crowd.
My special thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Tirop – the parents of the late Agnes Tirop – and indeed to your entire family for allowing us the honor to name this competition after her.
I wish you well as you continue to recover from the huge loss, and pray that the Almighty God grants you the strength to continue with the humanitarian projects your great daughter undertook.
Ladies and gentlemen,
On 13th October 2021, we lost one of our most promising world-beaters, Agnes Jebet Tirop, to Gender-based Violence.
The brutal murder of a rising star cut short a promising life and career and highlighted the gravity of Gender-based Violence cases among athletes.
Last month, my Ministry organized a conference for sports stakeholders from Kenya and beyond to provide a platform where members could converge and discuss the priority issues of inclusivity, welfare, and dignity in sports with the keen interest of finding sustainable solutions.
I would like to most sincerely thank our President, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta for committing financial and human resources support towards the fight against Gender-based Violence.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to thank the chair of the committee led by our marathon legend Catherine Ndereba for the committee’s work towards ensuring zero GBV cases in the sports industry.
Finally, I would like to thank all the athletes here today for showing up to join in this effort.
A special word of gratitude to foreign athletes, led by Ethiopia’s wonderful multiple world distance running record holder Letesenbet Gidey and Djibouti’s celebrated miler Ayanleh Souleiman, for choosing to train and run in our beautiful country.
I would like to appeal to you all to participate in the Kip Keino Classic Continental Tour meeting, scheduled for May this year.
Asanteni sana!