NAIROBI, Kenya, May 29 – President William Samoei Ruto is set to officially launch the Talanta Hela initiative on Friday at State House, Nairobi as one of the first steps towards transforming Kenyan sports as well as the arts and entertainment scene.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba has described the initiative as a cornerstone of the Kenya Kwanza administration’s bottom up ideology that centres on socio-economic empowerment of all classes of Kenyans.
“We are very clear in our minds that we need a coherent, structured, deliberate, intentional plan to turn talent into livelihoods…and that is what Talanta Hela is. It is about turning talents into money…into livelihoods. Whatever talents our young people have, Talanta Hela wants to turn it into an income generating livelihood for you,” the CS said.
To get the ball rolling – literally – will be the InterCounty Bottom Up Football Tournament that will pit teams from the 47 counties.
Namwamba said the competition will be a game changer in the Kenyan sports landscape and will not be a one-off event.
“The ignition for the Talanta Hela programme is the InterCounty Bottom Up Football Tournament. This year, we are starting with football; next year we expand to other arrays of sporting disciplines. While the tournament will be going on, we will be having other artistic, creative activities alongside the football,” Namwamba said.
The CS was on Monday afternoon locked in a meeting with county executives for sports and youth affairs from the different counties around the country.
The CECs presented the CS with their county flags as well as their respective home, away and alternative kits to be worn by their teams in the tournament.
“We decided that the countdown to the unveiling (of Talanta Hela by President Ruto) will start with the gentlemen and ladies responsible for sports, culture and youth affairs in the counties. As part of the unveiling, we will have the draw for the tournament and at the end of that ceremony, each governor will be provided the instruments for the football tournament and that includes the county flag. Your flag will be handed to your governor by His Excellency the President,” Namwamba said.
Speaking at the same event, principal secretary in the State Department for Youth Affairs and the Arts, Ismail Maalim, predicted that the tournament will unearth talents from all corners of the country.
“Our friends in Uasin Gishu and the North Rift have always described themselves as the home of champions. With this initiative, we are informing them that it won’t be long before other counties start to lay claim to the same name…we are going to see the emergence of talents from all over the country,” the PS said.