The County boss was presented with all quality trophies the teams from Siaya earned in earlier performances. In turn, he rewarded various sports and cultural teams.
Some 87 teams who participated in the previous Governor’s Cup tournament received uniforms for athletes and officials.
Governor Orengo offered platitudes for the sports and choir teams for their outstanding performances that saw Siaya feature prominently in various disciplines.
Orengo pointed out that the team’s success had once again demonstrated Siaya’s sporting prowess.
ADVERTISEMENT“We are here to celebrate your victory which is Siaya’s victory. And we are here to congratulate you, to say how proud we are of your performances as individuals and as a team,” Orengo said.
The County boss said the government will continue partnering with all stakeholders in the sports and cultural sector to ensure the county retains its talents by creating a conducive environment and giving good incentives for their performance.
He urged the Department of Sports and all partners to lay out a system of identifying and developing sports talent from their formative ages so as to nurture them.
“We want to continue to ensure that we not only do our best to retain our athletes but also we are constantly building up our sportsmen and women from an early age,” he said adding that Siaya stadium is almost complete and its opening is scheduled for January next year.
“The state-of-the-art FIFA-standard afro turf stadium whose completion has been prioritized for completion by my administration is due for opening. We have invited Yanga FC team from Tanzania to play against Kenya’s Gor Mahia in the inauguration match,” said Governor Orengo.
It is reported that once complete, the stadium will be of a standard higher than any local stadium.
The Governor further said:
“Because we believe in culture and sports, this year, we have prioritized celebrations targeting culture and sports in December and early January next year.
At the end of December, we are going to have Migwena festivals whose focus is pegged on sports and cultures activities, especially the rich luo culture.
“We are going to host Piny Luo festival beginning from last week of December and elders from all the counties within Lake Region Economic bloc will attend.
We shall invite luos from diaspora, Ugandans, Tanzania, South Sudan, DRC and beyond.”
Orengo also said that modalities have been put in place to see that the festivities are successful.
He took opportunity to ask choirs and teams who were feted in the previous, KiCOSCA, Kenya Youths Inter-County Sports Association, Kenya Music and Cultural Festival to practice for the scheduled Migwena festivals.
County Executive Committee Member incharge of Sports Anjeline Oduor thanked Governor Orengo for his commitment to the development of Siaya’s athletes saying the move has continued to ensure the county produces the best teams for regional, national and International events.
She pointed out that the sterling performance of Team Siaya in the sporting and cultural activities are as a result of the diligence, patriotism and discipline of the athletes and officials that participated in the events.
“Their hard work over the years, has once again, placed Siaya on the Kenyan map, and furthered our reputation as the home of champions,” Ms Oduor said.
County Secretary Joseph Ogutu and the Chairman of Siaya Public Service Board, Eng Collins Juma appreciated the performances in all disciplines.
“We are proud of our sports personnel and we join hands in backing the Governor on his program for rewarding the athletes,” said Ogutu.
Juma called for establishment of Sports academies in Siaya in an effort to harness, nurture and commercialize raw talent.
“The initiative will not only help spur sporting activities across the county but will also help curb high rates of unemployment, especially among the youth,” said Eng. Juma.
He hinted that under a new program, the Department of Sports will utilise county grassroots tournaments in scouting talented youth, who will thereafter advance to the sporting academies for nurturing.
Director Sports Sanmac Okoth, said the occasion was meant for celebration of sports and arts achievements in various categories and to fete schools from the County that had participated in National and International events.
The teams included Nyamira Girls(hockey), Sawagongo Boys (basketball ), St Mary’s School Yala (rugby), Rangala Boys (badminton) and Ulawa Apate who won 4 trophies Nationally in Nyatiti.
The remaining are groups that participated in the KMCF, KICOSCA where county government staff participated in Meru County. 27 members of staff were selected on merit to represent Kenya in the EALASKA games held in Kisumu.
“Kenya won overall and trophies are with the State Department for Devolution,” said Okoth.
Chess and scrabble players from County government were among the teams feted.
During the Kenya Youths Inter-County Association competitions Siaya youth participated in six disciplines; basketball, football for both men and women and they emerged the best in various categories.
“I’m a happy person,” said Okoth “because under the leadership of Governor Orengo, and Hon. Oduor, we have been able to execute programs some of them which were not there previously.”
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