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Ababu Namwamba, the CS for Youth Affairs, Sports, and the Arts, has come under fire this week for the way his ministry is being administered, with his unique Talanta Hela programme being one of the sticking points.
To help Kenyans with skills in sports and other creative areas connect with possible sponsors, the Talanta Hela app was released on June 9.
The politician has now answered via Pauline Sheghu, the ministry's director of communications, who said in an interview with Kenyans.co.ke that the Talanta App introduced by President William Ruto isn't working.
The Talanta Hela Committee was dissolved in June of this year, she explained, which was the cause of this, and the app will be functional once the committee
"Most of the people who were working on the app were part of the committee. So the app was put on hold as the CS keeps the house in order. We cannot just launch something. Then it does not work. That puts the President in an awkward situation," she said.
As some of you may recall, Carol Radul, Dennis Itumbi, Azziad Nasenya, Daniel Ndambuki, and others had their appointments to the Talanta Hela council and technical committees cancelled by Namwamba on June 9.
She concluded by saying that the programme, which was introduced a few months ago amid considerable excitement, was being vigorously promoted at the county level.
"We are currently going to the counties physically so that we don't waste talent. Some people are in the interior parts of the country, and they do have online platforms. So physically showcasing their talent is better for them."
Gladys Boss, the deputy speaker and a women representative from Uasin Gishu, was the first to bring up the missing app during a TV appearance, putting Ababu under pressure from numerous leaders in parliament.
Boss claims that Namwamba has disregarded athletes who represent their nation at international competitions.
Samson Cherargei, a senator from Nandi, supported a motion to call Ababu before the National Assembly so that he could address claims that he mistreated Kenyan sportsmen.
Cherargei urged Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah, who had first suggested calling Namwamba for accountability, on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday.
