Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) chairman Peter Orero has assured stakeholders that sporting championships will begin this year.
The decision was arrived at during a four-day caucus attended by KSSSA officials and their counterparts from the Ministry of Education in Nakuru.
Orero said KSSSA officials and their counterparts from the Ministry of Education are concerned that many talented youngsters have been denied an opportunity to develop their skill since coronavirus pandemic forced the suspension of KSSSA championships in March last year and want a quick resumption of the championships to allow students to use their talent and energy in productive ways.
“The Ministry of Education called a stakeholders meeting to brainstorm on how co-curricular activities can resume in schools and colleges as soon as possible. We were in agreement that we cannot replace the talents currently being wasted by lack of activities in schools and colleges and have agreed in principle that co-curricular activities must begin soonest possible,” Orero told Nation Sport Wednesday.
The caucus which started on Sunday and ended on Wednesday, was attended by among others, representatives from Kenya Special Needs Education, Kenya Primary Schools Sports Association, KSSSA, and those from Kenya Schools and Colleges Drama Festival.
The meeting came up with a programme for the resumption of co-curricular activities in schools and colleges which was forwarded to Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha for approval.
Orero hinted that co-curricular activities might resume in July.
Last year, Ministry of Education met top KSSSA officials in Kigari, Embu to draft guidelines for the resumption of sporting activities.
During the retreat, KSSSA officials also made changes to rules to be used during school games and suggested ways of dealing with possible challenges during implementation of Covid-19 protocols.
KSSSA championships were abruptly suspended in March last year when Kenya reported its first confirmed case of Covid-19. At the time, Term One games involving basketball, hockey, rugby, handball and cross country had reached the regional stage. The games have never resumed.