The appointment of former Vice President Moody Awori to the Sports Fund Board drew criticisms from different quarters countrywide, with Kenyans saying the post could’ve been given to a younger leader, and on Thursday, President Uhuru Kenyatta defended the appointment. Speaking at the launch of the KCB2jiajiri programme class of 2018, the Head of State said he had to go with trusted hands given the corruption spree in some offices, “Put yourself in my shoes. All around you, you see people stealing public money and yet this money at the moment is supposed to cater to programmes we set up recently, that will benefit you(the youth),” he said, citing the fact that the money in the Fund will take care of youth, health, sports programmes among others.
“It’s better for me to give the post to a veteran leader, who can take care of the money,” he said, telling critics to get off his back. The seven-member oversight board that is set to manage the Sports, Art, and Social Development Fund includes five Principal Secretaries, former VP Moody Awori and Athletics Kenya boss Jackson Tuwei. The President urged the youths to venture into business and do it in a proper way, “This is your country, not ours, if you deal justly, you’ll have protected yourself and the generations after you,” he said. He urged all youths who have businesses to be proud of them, no matter how small their businesses are.