Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba has revoked the appointments of Carol Radul, Dennis Itumbi, Azziad Nasenya, Daniel Ndambuki and others in the Talanta Hela council and technical committees.
In a gazette notice on Friday, the CS revoked the appointments he had made earlier in the wake of the controversy surrounding the members of the council.
“It is notified for the general information of the public that the cabinet secretary for youth affairs and arts has revoked Gazzete Notice number 1649 of 2023,” the notice reads in part.
The CS established the Talanta Hela Council and two other Technical Committees through a Gazette Notice dated February 6, 2023.
The Council was to be chaired by Ababu and was to oversee all projects.
Sports Committee chaired by Radul, a media personality was tasked with considering and proposing legislative and policy measures for the growth of sports in the country.
It also had the responsibility of supporting the Kenya Academy of Sports in running a nationwide programme for identifying, developing and marketing Kenya’s best sporting and creative talent from all 47 counties.
Olympic Javelin Champion Julius Yego alongside Boniface Ambani, Neddy Kutsuru, Alfred Makotsi, Sammy Tiyoi, Daniel Nakeor and Shariffa Ochieng were also appointed members of the committee.
They were to serve for a period of three years.
Ndambuki was to chair the Creative Committee which has members that included Akinyi Odongo, Jimmi Gathu, Catherine Kamau, Esther Akoth (Akothee), Kizito Makhande, Azziad Nasenya, Wahu Kagwi, Awadhi Salim Awadhi, Douglas Langat, and Susan Ekasiba.
The CS pointed out the government plans to revitalise Sports and the Creative Economy through the revolutionary initiative.
The decision taken by the CS comes following a court ruling which suspended its implementation.
It was to be officially launched Friday by President William Ruto at the State House.
In a ruling dated May 23, High court judge Lawrence Mugambi issued the orders granting the Sports Ministry 14 days to put their house in order and respond to the petition and application filed.
“Pending the hearing and determination of this application inter parties, an interim orders be and is hereby issued suspending the special issue of the Kenya Gazette Notice 1649(Vol.CXXV No.32) dated February 10, 2023, publishing the establishment of the Talanta Hela Council and its Technical Committees and consequent appointments for a period of 3 years effective from February 10, 2023,” ruled Mugambi.
The order was issued after a petition was filed by an advocate of the High Court who is also the petitioner Charles Mugane challenging the appointment of the Creative Technical Committee.
According to Mugane, the appointments were politically engineered to reward cronies while ignoring qualified Kenyans.
“This was a betrayal of the public trust bestowed upon you by the Kenyan citizenry,” Mugane told Namwamba in the petition.
The petitioner further states that the appointments were made in breach of Article 10 of the Constitution.
Namwamba has been on record defending the initiative as a giant step towards transforming Kenyan sports as well as the arts and entertainment scene.
It was initiated by President William Ruto and spearheaded by CS.
