The newly appointed Cabinet Secretary for Sports and Youth Affairs, Salim Mvurya, officially assumed office on Tuesday, January 7, 2024, taking over the docket from the current Minister of Interior, Kipchumba Murkomen.
The former Kwale County governor was among the ministers affected by President Ruto’s latest reshuffling of his cabinet members. He was transferred from the Ministry of Mining and Blue Economy to the Sports Ministry in December of last year.
“I want to announce today that I have taken over the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports,” Mvurya said at Talanta House on Tuesday afternoon.
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He further congratulated his predecessors, including Ababu Namwamba, for the solid foundation they have built in the Sports and Youth Affairs docket and promised to work with everyone in the ministry.
“As I take over, I want to congratulate the Principal Secretary, Peter Tum, and the senior team, including CS Kipchumba Murkomen, and also Ababu Namwamba, who was here before, because of the solid foundation, progress, and momentum they have put in this ministry.” he added.
“As I take over, I want to say I will work with all of you in your different portfolios.”
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Mvurya is confident that the country will emerge as the best host for the upcoming CHAN 2024 and AFCON 2027.
“I know there are many priorities, and I am very confident that Kenya will emerge as the best country,” he said. “Hosting CHAN and AFCON is an opportunity not just to profile our country, but to showcase our presence in the region.”
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He further assured the country that the three nations will host the CHAN tournament in February with no challenges.
“Yesterday, I had a virtual meeting with my colleagues from Uganda and Tanzania, a meeting I chaired, and we confirmed that we will have the CHAN, and Kenya, in particular, will be ready to host the competition without any challenges,” he said.
“This morning, we visited Kasarani, Nyayo, and the two training grounds, Ulinzi Complex and Police Sacco, and I am confident Kenya is going to host CHAN.”
He called upon the newly elected Football Kenya Federation team, led by Hussein Mohammed and McDonald Mariga, to ensure that, as they prepare for the event’s success, they also prioritize the preparation of the national team.
“Our football colleagues should also prepare Harambee Stars so that our team can emerge as the best in this tournament. I am happy that the Mapinduzi Cup is going on in Zanzibar, and at some point, I hope we will be able to go there and cheer them on in the finals and boost their morale,” Mvurya concluded.
With 24 days remaining, Kenya is in a race to ensure it catches up with the other two countries, Uganda and Tanzania, who are set to host the tournament beginning on February 1 and culminating on February 28, 2025.
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