News Categories: Sports,Youth Affairs and Arts

September is Deaf Awareness Month, bringing visibility to and awareness of the communication needs and unique identity of deaf and hard of hearing people.

Deaf Awareness Month aims to increase public awareness of Deaf issues, people and culture, emphasizing the positive aspects of deafness, encouraging social inclusion and raising awareness of the organizations locally, nationally and globally that support those who are deaf.

The County Government of Nandi today joined the rest of the world to mark the International Deaf Awareness week to create awareness and educate residents on the significance of sign language in the society.

The theme of this years celebrations “Access to Communication” aims to promote greater awareness and understanding of the challenges faced by the deaf community in accessing information.

Students of Kapsabet School for the Hearing Impaired(High School Section) Participating In Activities to Commemorate Deaf Awareness Week.

The event that was held at the Kapsabet School for the Hearing Impaired grounds in Kapsabet brought together people with hearing challenges where they were taught different life skills, among others, HIV/AIDS prevention.

Students of Kapsabet School for the Hearing Impaired(Primary Section) Participating In Activities to Commemorate Deaf Awareness Week.

The Chief Officer for Sports and Social Welfare Beatrice Jemurgor urged residents to learn sign language, as that would break the language barrier that the Deaf community continues to experience. She said the move will enhance easier communication among all, thus enabling those abled differently, particularly the deaf and dumb, to realise their full potential as well as ensure their full participation in social-economic-related obligations.

She promised to continue advocating for the rights of people living with disabilities and also spearheading public awareness on the need to stop stigmatising the Deaf community.

Governor Sang’s administration is committed to realize disability inclusion in all spheres of the deaf community life in th county.

The County Government of Nandi in collaboration with the Kenya Academy of Sports (KAS) intends to set up a county sports academy to nurture talents among residents. This aligns with Governor Stephen Sang’s manifesto on developing and growing sporting talent across the county.

The plan was revealed by the Kenya Academy of Sports Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Doreen Odhiambo during a fact-finding mission in the county, visiting a number of proposed sites.

Kenya Academy of Sports Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Doreen Odhiambo.

Speaking in Nandi Hills after inspecting an existing sports facility at the Nandi Tea Estate, Dr Odhiambo said the sports academy would enable the county to produce professional sportsmen and women who would be able to join the local and international clubs to earn a living.

The sports and talent academy is aimed at helping youth explore their potentials for economic gain.

While receiving the team, the Deputy County Secretary Dr Lydia Kosgei thanked the Kenya Academy of Sports for the partnership with the Source of Champions saying Governor Sang’s administration is committed to nurturing and developing talents by availing platforms to showcase and invest in sports infrastructure.

Deputy County Secretary Dr Lydia Kosgei in Consultation with Sports Chief Executive Officer(CEO) Dr. Doreen Odhiambo and Anastacia Cheruiyot of Kenya Academy for Sports.

The Chief Officer for Sports Beatrice Jemurgor welcomed the move and said that the county government has prioritized sports development and sports facilities are up coming to engage and develop talent especially amongst the youth to reap the attendant benefits.

“We welcome the opportunity to work closely with the Kenya Academy of Sports on the establishment of the academy and will be equally committed now alongside our partners to helping to bring its ambitions to life,” said the Chief Officer.

Chief Officer Social Welfare,Sports, Youth Affairs, Culture and Arts Beatrice Jemurgor.

She urged Nandi residents, particularly talented youths, to take athletics and sports in general as a way of earning decent livelihoods.

On his part, the Nandi Tea Estates General Manager Abdi Hussein said that the company will partner with the county in realizing inclusive grassroots development and nurturing of sports talents to promote sports as an income earner for the young people in the country.

Nandi Tea Estates General Manager Mr. Abdi Hussein in Consultation with the Team from County and Kenya Sports Academy.

The team also visited the Eliud Kipchoge Sports Complex.

Governor Sang’s administration is keen on harnessing and nurturing sporting talents among the residents of Nandi.

Also present were Solomon Mutai, Chairman Athletics Kenya North Rift Region, Senior Principal: Research – Kenya Academy of Sport Anastacia Cheruiyot and the County Sports Director Daniel Rutto.

The Anti-doping Agency of Kenya ADAK will establish a long term collaboration with the County Government of Nandi to create more awareness and sensitization on doping among the sports men and women in the county in a move aimed at restoring the integrity of sports.

This was revealed during a meeting between ADAK officials and the Chief Officer for Sports Beatrice Jemurgor. The Anti-doping Agency of Kenya believes that collaboration between the County Government of Nandi and the various stakeholders will be key in eradicating doping in the region.

“We want to work hand in hand with the County Government of Nandi so that we educate our athletes on the substances to avoid, ” said Kennedy Mwai from ADAK.

Kennedy Mwai, ADAK Official

Social Welfare, Sports, Youth Affairs, Culture and Arts, Chief Officer Beatrice Jemurgor welcomed the move by ADAK saying there’s need for the Agency to familiarize the athletes with the contents in the WADA Prohibited List with an aim to stop inadvertent doping.

“We look forward to working with ADAK in this endeavor and urge our athletes to cooperate with us whenever required,” she said.

She also called for investment in professional support for Sportspeople’s mental health.

Chief Officer, Social Welfare, Sports, Youth Affairs, Culture and Arts, Beatrice Jemurgor.

Also present at the meeting were; Nemwel Arama and Robert Kirui from ADAK, Sports Director Daniel Ruto among other sports officials.

The county government of Nandi through the department of Culture, Social Welfare Sports, Youth Affairs and Arts in its mandate of powering collective action through community engagement, visited the Great Hope Children’s Home that has 26 needy students who call it home since their childhood stage and are now grown .

Speaking while flagging off the donations, CECM for Gender and Social Welfare Rose Angira acknowledged the role of children’s homes in the county.

She said such facilities protect young and vulnerable children from bad influences and circumstances which can lead them to delinquency.

“In the homes, needy children are offered guidance, taken care of and equipped with necessary life skills,” she noted. “It is for this reason that the County Government of Nandi will continue to support such facilities, so that together we can contribute to a meaningful future for the less fortunate in the society.”

CECM social welfare, youth affairs,sports, culture and arts Rose Angira presenting the donations to Pastor Elkanah Kipyego, spiritual father and Salome Jebitok, co founder of Great Hope children’s home.

Salome Chebitok,the core founder of Great Hope Childrens Home which was founded in 2012, has seen the organization take through several children through school from primary to secondary.

Pastor Elkana Kipyego, the spiritual parent to the children applauded the county Government for playing the pivotal role in leveraging the government influence in addressing complex challenges these children face and towards their empowerment to be in an equitable and fair environment for quality growth.

Chief officer social welfare, youth affairs,sports, culture and arts, Beatrice Jemurgor presenting the county government’s collective good towards the home.

Chief officer Madam Beatrice Chemurgor encouraged the children to work smart in their education and promised that the county Government will render it’s significant support at all times .

Chief officer social welfare, youth affairs,sports, culture and arts, Beatrice Jemurgor interacting with Great Hope children.

Also present was Director Social Welfare Gender and cultural Mr Dominic Tullo.

Chief officer social welfare, youth affairs,sports, culture and arts, Beatrice Jemurgor in her role with a group of Great Hope Children.

The County Government of Nandi will partner with the national government towards the construction of a new stadium in Kapsabet town.

On Wednesday, the County Government of Nandi through the department of social welfare, culture, sports, youth affairs, and arts toured and held discussions with officials from Sports Kenya on the prospective buildup of the Eliud Kipchoge Sports Complex, Kipchoge Keino Stadium and the Kapsabet showgrounds whereby they accessed the site and the status of the existing facilities.

Chief officer social welfare, youth affairs, sports, culture and arts, Beatrice Jemurgor overseeing the inspection of the sport facilities.

Sports Kenya Deputy Director for Technical Services Gabriel Komora said that the visit was meant to conduct preliminary assessment of the facilities and have an accurate picture of the space available, see what can fit in the field and know all the requirements needed before the construction begins.

Preliminary discussions in session.

The visit comes after the President’s visit to the county earlier this year with a promise of constructing a modern stadium in Kapsabet.

While receiving the technical team on behalf of the Governor, the Deputy County Secretary Dr Lydia Kosgei said that the visit by the team shows President Ruto’s commitment to fulfilling his promise to the great people of Nandi County.

Deputy County Secretary, Dr Lydia Kosgei chairing the discussions.

Dr Lydia lauded the partnership and said that Governor Sang’s administration has made unprecedented investment in sports infrastructure development in Nandi.

Present at the event were Sports Kenya team W. Kataka, John Ruga and Architect Tuesday Nyakang’o – UNES/Sports Kenya, Sports Chief Officer Beatrice Jemurgor, Sports Director Daniel Rutto and Webukhulu the Commissioner of Sports.

Officials from technical services ministry of youth affairs, sports and arts led by the deputy director Mr. Gabriel Komora assessing the state of the facilities.

Ensuring a level playing field through adherence to the rules and the elimination of any unfair advantages gained through the use of performance-enhancing drugs is vital for the success of sporting events.

Earlier today, the County Government of Nandi, represented by the Department of Sports, convened a meeting with a group of athletes at the 2Running Club in Chebarbar, aiming to promote clean sports. Claudio Berardelli, the coach behind the 2 Running Club, is credited with developing some of the world’s fastest distance athletes, including Amos Kipruto, Eunice Sum, and Emmanuel Wanyonyi.

CECM social welfare, culture,sports,youth affairs,and arts, Rose Angira with coach 2 Running Club, Mr. Claudio Berardelli.

Dr. Lydia Kosgei, the Deputy County Secretary, along with Rose Angira, the County Executive Committee Member for Sports, and Sports Chief Officer Beatrice Jemurgor, engaged in collaborative discussions with the athletes. The focus was on anti-doping measures and initiatives to maintain the integrity of sports, protecting athletes from the threat of banned performance-enhancing substances.

Dr. Lydia Kosgei, Deputy County Secretary

Rose Angira, the CEC Member for Sports, announced that the county’s sports department would begin visiting training camps within Nandi County to interact with athletes, understand their daily routines, and address any challenges they face. She also mentioned plans to establish a comprehensive database of training camps, licensed coaches, managers, and athletes to streamline support.

Furthermore, Rose Angira advised athletes who earn substantial incomes from their talents to invest wisely in endeavors that will provide financial security beyond their athletic careers.

Chief officer social welfare, sports, culture,youth affairs, and arts, Beatrice Jemurgor.

Beatrice Jemurgor, the Chief Officer for Sports, emphasized the importance of athletes taking responsibility for their well-being. She urged them to consult with their coaches before using any over-the-counter medications and encouraged them to invest in Nandi County, assuring that the county government would facilitate such investments.

Athletes in attendance at the meeting expressed their appreciation for the county government’s initiatives to support them.

CECM social welfare, sports, culture, youth affairs and arts, Rose Angira consulting with athletes on their daily track needs.

The County Government of Nandi is fully committed to promoting and supporting sports as an integral part of the county’s development. The government believes that sports should be accessible to all, and Governor Sang’s administration continues to provide the necessary support to athletes.

Notable figures present at the event included Sports Director Daniel Rutto, Sports Commissioner Mr. Webukhulu, and other senior sports officials.

Elias kipkorir trains 26, resides and trains at a camp in Kapsabet. The camps hosts about 15elite athletes. Their weekly routine is certainly monastic. From Monday to Saturday every week, running is a religion.

“Our life here is simple, very simple; we get up in the morning, go for a run, and come back. If it is a day for cleaning, we do the cleaning, or we just relax. Then go for lunch, massage, the 4 o’clock run, and evening tea, relax, go to sleep”, says Kipkorir.

The training diary is set in a blackboard, two sessions a day, the most of important of which come on Tuesdays (track), Thursdays (long run) and Saturdays (interval training). The second session of the day is the afternoon 10km run. It is known as a recovery run.

Kipkorir says he opted to train in Kapsabet since the air quality is fresh and clean. He says they at all cost avoid congested roadways where combustion pollutants are worst.

Athletes subjected to air pollution may suffer from inflamed airways and diminished pulmonary capacity with resulting respiratory ailments, such as coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. Pollution can also impair athletes’ endurance and their ability to focus due to bothersome and distracting respiratory symptoms.

According to World Health Organization Air pollution is contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.

Household combustion devices, motor vehicles, industrial facilities and forest fires are common sources of air pollution. Pollutants of major public health concern include particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Outdoor and indoor air pollution cause respiratory and other diseases and are important sources of morbidity and mortality.

In a recent collaboration between the County Government of Nandi, United Nations Environmental Programme and Stockholm environment institute that saw the installation of air quality sensors at the Eliud Kipchoge Stadium, will not only enable researchers to collect and analyze more data on the impact of air pollution on sports, but also inform mitigation actions.

According to Elias the partnership could not have come at a better time. He says data from the centers will help put up measures to control air pollution in sporting venues and thus ensuring Kapsabet athletes compete in a clean environment.

In line with Governor Stephen Sang agenda of making Kapsabet a cradle of athletics prowess, he has committed to supporting cleaning environment for our athlete.

Governor Sang, during the unveiling of the air quality sensors at the Eliud kipchoge stadium reiterated his support in ensuring that the environment is well conserved. He said this will be achieved through elaborate afforestation program and partnership with key Stakeholders involved in conservation adding that Climate Change is real and that we should Act Now.