NAIROBI, Kenya – President William Ruto has announced that 500 sportsmen and women will be recruited into the disciplined services as part of a government plan to provide athletes with stable careers while nurturing talent.
Speaking on Thursday at State House, Nairobi, during a breakfast meeting with Team Kenya from the Tokyo championships, Ruto said the initiative is meant to give athletes a strong foundation in the military, police, and other uniformed agencies, while also allowing them to serve the country.
“In support of our sportsmen and women, I have discussed with our disciplined services, both the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and the National Police Service (NPS), and we have agreed that a total of 500 sportsmen and women will be hired into our services,” he said.
Out of the 500 slots, 200 will be taken up by athletes joining the KDF and 150 by those recruited into the police service.
The Head of State added that discussions are ongoing with the Kenya Prisons Service, Kenya Wildlife Service, and the National Youth Service (NYS) to absorb more athletes in future intakes.
Ruto said the programme builds on a long tradition where the disciplined forces have provided training grounds and employment for Kenya’s sporting talent.
“We must build on that tradition by expanding opportunities so that more young people with talent can find both a livelihood and a platform to showcase their abilities,” he noted.
Our athletes in Tokyo carried our flag with pride and brought immense honour to Kenya, proving to the world that we are not participants in the league of nations; we play in the league of champions.Winning 7 Gold, 2 Silver, and 2 Bronze, and emerging second globally and first
During the event, the President also rewarded Kenya’s 11 medalists at the recently concluded World Athletics Championships with cash prizes and promised further government support for sports infrastructure and training facilities.
He further announced that medal winners would benefit from a housing scheme similar to that offered to Harambee Stars players earlier this year. Under the plan, the government will cover half the cost of houses in locations of the athletes’ choice.
“You choose the house, we pay half, you pay the other half,” he clarified, dismissing criticism that the government was giving out free houses.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya were among senior officials who attended the event.
