In the Third World political and policy arguments on matters of sports, there is always a skewed understanding of the role of sports in national and regional development.
The conceptualization of sport is simplistic. It is considered as some form of physical engagement to contain children in school and to a larger extent, an occasional practice where nations compete in selected sports and events to showcase the country's elite talents.
Although these two counts are valid reasons for engagement in sports, there are greater economic and developmental outcomes of sports in any Nation.
Kenya is a pluralistic society when it comes to matters of sports. There are over 50 National Governing Bodies running their individual sports at the national level.
The NGBs are responsible for critical grassroots evolution and policy development of sports. The National and County governments participation in sports development is political at best.
There is no informed policy direction on matters of hiring the best and qualified personnel to run the affairs of sports. It is a well-known fact that sports discipline has been relegated to the periphery when it comes to serious policy discussions.
Everybody is deemed to have competencies in sports or it is erroneously assumed that anybody understands sports. Kenya is not short of trained talents in the management of sports.
Kenyan universities have produced people in all fields including Moi University with a vibrant Sports Management degree program.
In addition, Kenyatta University has produced Physical Education and Sport Science professionals among many others universities.
The challenge, however, is that the sports industry is least prepared to consume the skilled personnel churned out every year from these universities. The narrative across the nation on matters of sports development is ESTABLISHMENT OF TALENT ACADEMIES.
There is nothing wrong with talent academies. The question is, are they relevant to today's Kenya? Are talent academies the best models needed to develop sports in the county?
As a scholar in Sports Management and Policy, I would advise the nation to reevaluate its fantasy or infatuation with the establishment of talent academies and instead focus on the development of sports in schools and grassroots after-school programs which will eventually create the necessary impetus to professionalize and commercialize sports in Kenya.
Secondly, the nation should advocate for engagement of critical human capital with relevant skills and qualifications to steer the sports industry.
Third, the Ministries of Education and Sports should be at the forefront in spearheading the modernization of sports in Kenyan universities.
Sports, at our national universities, are a pale shadow of high school sports programs and management. In the interest of talent development, Kenyan universities ought to be the centers for such enterprises.
Thousands of Kenyan students are looking for sports scholarships abroad every year. This desire for higher education can be provided at our universities with proper policies to attract the best talents and improve academic access and success among our athletes. Universities as talent centers are the best practice.
A national audit of qualifications and standards of personnel in charge of sports departments at the ministry headquarters and across the 47 Counties is needed urgently.
In addition, a comprehensive BLUEPRINT for SPORT to elevate the SPORT INDUSTRY in Kenya, which is long overdue, is imperative.
This will factor in the New Curriculum where Sports and Talents is one of the pathways necessary in its realization.
Tourism benefits greatly through sports. Research is critical in the development of sports tourism products and models which will inform government policies on an intersectoral perspective.
Therefore, the championing for the establishment of sports academies or talent academies is a good idea except it is an idea whose time has not come.
The economics of sports advocates for the provision of sports equipment and sporting environments which are safe for kids play and recreational parks with sports facilities and trails for training spaces.
An after-school program is an effective way to achieve the desired effects of talent identification and development across the different echelons of education levels from primary schools, where sports development should focus on sports for fun and entertainment.
Those who mature early in skills development can progress to play sports in High school while the majority should find their place in secondary schools' engagement in sports with additional years of engagement and maturity. Universities should be the epitome of Kenya's elite sports development.
Weekend sports activities organized from a private perspective with a clear regulatory framework will complement the afterschool and school sports programs.