Sports CS Amina Mohamed unveils guidelines for the resumption of sporting activities

Sports CS Amina Mohamed unveils guidelines for the resumption of sporting activities

Through a virtual meeting held on Monday, August 24, the Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts has unveiled guidelines for protocols that will be used to allow the resumption of sporting activities in the country.

On July 1, CS Amina Mohamed appointed an advisory committee chaired by Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Noor Hassan to look into the possibilities of sportspeople in the country going back to work.

Sporting activities were halted in March following the first confirmed case of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Stakeholders now have seven days to go through the 26-page document and give feedback, before the Ministry decides on a definite date for sporting activities to resume.

“Due to the nature of pandemic it was imperative to take a delicate and diligent process to satisfy the Ministry of Health and World Health Organization (WHO) directives on the same including on public participation. I hope will be able to complete exercise as soon as possible and roll out a sports calendar,” said CS Amina.

CAS Noor Hassan also expressed confident sporting activities will return to the country soon.

“I want to thank the members of the committee for putting in the hard work to ensure that we have these guidelines ready. We have lost a lot of time this year and as you can see the school year has been lost and we don’t want to see the same for sports. We want to pick sports together and keep sports alive in the country,” Hassan said.

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

• Sports Organizations must ensure the disseminate information about COVID-19 as released by the Ministry of Health to Athletes, athlete support personnel, officials, staff and volunteers.
• All organizers and venue operators should appoint COVID-19 contact persons (preferably sports officers) and response teams.
• Ensure the availability of handwashing facilities, sanitizers and thermometers at the training and competition sites.
• All venue operators should ensure safe environments, carry out regular cleaning and disinfection of venues, associated fixtures and equipment
• Officials, the media personnel and all staff working in sports venues during events will all have to take the Covid-19 tests;
• No press conference will be allowed except for flash interviews for athletes. Such interviews will be conducted respecting the social distancing of 1.5 meters and more;
• Handshakes, hugs to celebrate achievements during and after events will be prohibited;
• Exchange and sharing of uniforms will be prohibited.
• Team event organizers should gather teams in one place prior to and until the end of the championship. The organizers will keep records and contact information of all the athletes and any other person for ease of contact tracing.
• Any suspected cases of COVID-19 to be processed in line with the guidelines provided by the Ministry of Health.
• There will be signage at every entrance and strategic locations to remind all persons of the COVID-19 measures.
• Body temperature checks shall be conducted to all persons at the time of entry to the venue. Anyone with a body temperature reading above 37.5 will not be allowed into any sporting venue.

Members of the Advisory Committee: (Ministry of Sports website)

1. Hon. Hassan Noor Hassan – Chief Administrative Secretary, Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage,
   Chairperson, Mr. Pius Metto, Director General, Sports Kenya,
2. Ms. Rose Wachuka, Policy Advisor, Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage
3. Dr. Walter Ongeti, Strategy Advisor, Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage
4. Mr. Japson Gerald Gitonga. Ag. Commissioner of Sports, Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage ‘
5. Ms. Agnes Oluoch, President National Paralympic Committee of Kenya,
6. Dr. Naim Bilal, CEO, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation,
7. Mr. Elias Makori, Editor (Sports), Nation Media Group,
8. Dr. Wycliffe Makanga, Sports Medic,
9. Dr. Doreen Odhiambo, Ag. CEO Kenya Academy of Sports,
10. Dr. Japhter Rugut, CEO, Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya,
11. Ms. Rose Wasike, Registrar of Sports,
12. Mr. Barnabas Korir, Athletics Kenya
13. Mr. Francis Mutuku, Secretary-General NOC-K,
14. Ms. Christine Mangwana, Head of Legal Ministry of Sports (Secretary),
15. Mr. Kweya G. Obed Matuli, Sports research scientist
16. Dr James Ochola Ondiege, Sports Medic
17. Ms Sylvia Kamau, Sports expert
18. Mr. James Odongo, Head of Planning, State Department of Sports
19. Mr. Francis Odera, Principal Accountant, State Department of Sports
20. Mr. Felix Ochieng, Administrator
21. Mr. Gamaliel Omondi, Ministry of Health Representative
22. Mr. Festus Karani, Ministry of Health Representative