The Government through the Ministry of Sports is set to build a sports academy at Ololulunga area in Narok South Sub-county that will nurture and develop talents among the pastoralists’ community.
Narok South Deputy County Commissioner (DCC), Felix Kisalu, said the construction of the proposed academy will begin before the end of the year at Ololulunga Day Primary School compound.
Kisalu spoke after hosting a delegation from the Kenya Academy of Sports (KAS) that was led by Ms. Grace Mitambo and a team from the Narok County Government Sports Department that visited the Ololulunga Primary School grounds.
The proposed academy, he said, is expected to host ultra-modern soccer and athletic pitch, where young talented athletics, will nurture their potential.
Also to be built will be a changing room, an office complex, training halls, indoor games arena, gymnasium, entertainment blocks and sanitary block.
The DCC observed that Narok South had been chosen along other nine sports’ academies that are being constructed in the country, adding that the academy is expected to utilize sports in enhancing inter-ethnic cohesion among the local communities.
He reiterated that the Sub-county has in the past experienced inter-ethnical clashes, where young people are used by influential persons to cause skirmishes.
“The young people who have been in the past idling and vulnerable to rogue politicians will have a chance to exercise their talents. This is expected to promote peace and cohesion in this area,” he said.
“There are many young people in our society who are talented but do not know how to exercise their talent. The academy will be a good platform to build and nurture their talents and give them a chance to compete with other young people from outside the country,” he said.
The Sports Academy will be one of its kind in all the pastoralists’ communities who live in Samburu, Kajiado and Narok counties.
The Academy’s function will also include collecting, collating, storing and disseminating tangible and intangible historical sports material to the public.
By Ann Salaton
