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Future talents across all sports will also be able to benefit virtually from the program.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba on Wednesday, February 15, launched the mega Talanta Hela initiative at the Moi Stadium, Kasarani.
Still in its initial stages, Namwamba revealed that they want to execute the bottom-up grassroots football where they will be visiting all counties to source for talent.
The final of the crème de la crème of the players will get a chance to participate in the grand final to be held at the Nyayo National Stadium on Jamhuri day.
The main focus will be to scout for sports talent in the grassroots and among the youth.
"This year we start with football because it's in a messy state. We are coming to your village to conduct activities...you better be ready," Namwamba said.
He added that there will be the Afro Talanta Awards which will gear towards awarding the best talents in the country. "On Jamhuri day, we shall also have the special awards," he said.
Namwamba said the government will also be rolling out the presidential innovation challenge where his excellency President William Ruto will be there to give personal awards.
"Our aim is to get our sports and creatives to a level that they have never gotten before. We want to invent fresh thinking and new ways of doing things," he added.
He said there is more to come as they organise the unveiling of the initiative in full, an occasion to be held by President Ruto- the brains behind the initiative.
Namwamba went ahead and noted that Kenya has every reason to take sports beyond entertainment and monetise it.
"It's time to commercialize it and translate it to the real economy as we seek to offer employment to our young people," he insisted.
He revealed that Morocco had the ability to get to the 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-final since they were deliberate and invested in the grassroots.
He noted that these activities will also be done in the virtual space for the people who will miss the chance to perform during physical meetings.
In the case of a video uploaded on the online platform, expert coaches will scrutinise it and give their remarks concerning the same. If approved, they will look for the individual and make sure their talent is nurtured.
Namwamba also revealed they will work closely with the schools and the county associations to ensure the initiative sprouts.
"We shall flag off this month and we want to work very closely with the school ecosystem and county governments," he said.
He revealed that they will be deploying various approaches which will be shared in due course to help the program thrive.
"We shall also be using the civil registry. There will be no age cheating," he added.
Civil registry is a platform yet to be launched by the president where all the information about an individual will be found. The platform will be integrated with the Talanta Hela program.
Namwamba added that no federation will be replaced or disrupted because of the initiative.
"The initiative does not come out to wipe what was there before but it's going to strengthen it. It is going to pivot around those associations," he explained.
He also sited examples where specific talent will be sourced from. "Kakamega High School will be specifically for football, Lenana School for golf, St. Patrick's Iten for athletics and, Nairobi School for rugby as we progress," Namwamba said.
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