Financial constraints force Mombasa County to Trim its Sports Team for Kisumu Tourney
By Tobby Otum
Mombasa county government will take part in only nine sports disciplines during the 9th edition of the annual Kenya-Inter Counties Sports Cultural Association [KICOSA] Games in Kisumu county.
The seven-day event will kick off on Monday at the lakeside city of Kisumu with Deputy President Geoffrey Rigathi Gachagua expected to perform the opening ceremony.
The move to trim the Mombasa county sports team to participate in nine games instead of 14 is as a result of financial constraints.
During the handing over of the county flag to the teams headed by the captain Isha Hamisi, Mombasa county senior sports officer Hamid Abubakari was at pains to explain what the sports team went through to take part in the previous annual events.
East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) member Suleiman Shahbal called for tolerance and patience to give Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir time as he struggles to put his house in order.
He reiterated Abdulswamad is faced with challenges and has given priority to ending the delay in the payment of the workers’ monthly salaries.
“I wish to stand with him in his effort to return sanity at the county level since he was elected,” he added.
On his part, the county chief who gave a personal donation of Sh 200,000 as motivation to the players said he won’t allow the players to travel to take part in the one-week event without getting their traveling allowances.
He said he acknowledges and applauds the complaint brought to him about what the county sports team is undergoing.
“All pending traveling allowances for the county employees must be paid with immediate effect,” he directed.
Meanwhile, the team departs over the weekend to take part in the event with the host governor Professor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o assuring the 8000 participants from 32 counties of their security during their stay in Kisumu city.
About The Author
