The Sports Ministry Cabinet Secretary (CS), Amb. Amina Mohammed has decried rising cases of doping among Kenya’s International athletes, saying it was an embarrassment to the country.
Closing the 40th edition of KECOSO games at Gusii Stadium, Amb. Mohammed said it was time to hold accountable all perpetrators of doping.
“Athletes don’t do it on their own, someone must be assisting them,” noted Mohammed.
The CS called for concerted effort in the fight against the vice, saying it will determine how future athletes are treated in the international community.
She appealed to those who participated in the weeklong event to reject the behavior and become ambassadors of clean sports in a bid to restore the dignity of the country.
The CS who was accompanied by Transport and Infrastructure CAS, Chris Obure and the ICT Principal Secretary (PS), Jerome Ochieng lauded the KECOSO governing council for encouraging all counties to participate saying it strengthened the spirit of devolution.
Obure appealed to the private sector to join the government in sponsoring sporting events as they had the potential to unite the country.
He urged more teams to participate in the future events saying next year’s event will be with more vigor.
Ochieng described sports as a good initiative for building bridges since participants only care about team work and not where one came from or the community one belonged to.
He encouraged Kenyans to get involved in sporting events as one way of uniting the nation.
Representing the Kisii County Governor, James Ongwae, Deputy Joash Maangi thanked participants for completing the exercise without any ugly incidents being reported.
By Jane Naitore/Chrispine Otieno
