SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY HON. MWAI KIBAKI, C.G.H., M.P., PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA DURING THE PRESENTATION OF THE NATIONAL FLAG TO THE NATIONAL RUGBY SEVENS TEAM DEPARTING FOR THE INTERNATIONAL RUGBY BOARD SEVENS WORLD CUP, STATE HOUSE GARDENS, NAIROBI, 28TH FEBRUARY, 2009

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am happy to receive you here today to express my gratitude, and that of the entire country for the achievements that you have attained in a relatively short period of time in the game of Rugby.

I, therefore, congratulate the team, the Kenya Rugby Football Union and the entire Rugby fraternity in Kenya on these achievements.

I note with great appreciation that you have not only qualified for the World Cup, but have also continued to do extremely well in the International Rugby Board series. Your recent performances in Wellington, New Zealand and San Diego, USA, were exemplary. You managed to beat World-renowned teams like New Zealand and South Africa. In doing so, you improved the team’s ranking to sixth position in the world. This is the best ranking Kenya has ever received in the game of Rugby and is a milestone in our quest to be a great sporting nation. My Government has taken note of these achievements and will continue to support your endeavors to be the number one Rugby team in the world.

In recognition of the team’s outstanding achievement so far, the government has given a token award of 300,000 shillings. The government has also supported your trip to Dubai with a further 1.4 million shillings.

Your achievements, I note, have been made from a relatively small pool of players around the country. It is for this reason that I welcome your plans to work with the Ministries of Education, and Youth Affairs and Sports to help spread the game of Rugby and widen the player base by introducing the game as a competitive sport in our primary schools. I assure you of the full co-operation and support of the two Ministries.

The Government further recognizes the important role that sports plays in our daily lives, as a vehicle of nurturing understanding, unity and trust among our people. We will continue to provide the necessary support to ensure that our youth reap maximum benefits from it. You will recall that in the current financial year, the Government has allocated 210 million shillings for the development of football in the country. This money has already been sent to the Constituencies. It is my hope that Members of Parliament will ensure the proper use of this investment in the development of football at the grassroots level. In future, it is the intention of my government to give similar support to other Sporting disciplines.

I am informed that plans are underway to ensure that Kenya maintains her excellent showing in the 2008 Beijing Games at the next Olympic Games in London. I am happy to note therefore that the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the sporting fraternity have embarked on the “Road to TWENTY TWELVE” London Olympics Games where your own game of Rugby will be a demonstration sport. It is the wish of the Government that sports organizations start early preparations so that our teams are adequately prepared and are given the necessary exposure to perform well. You must also take advantage of these opportunities to ensure that you do not miss out on the London Olympic Games. Towards this end, you will need, in the meantime, to excel in several regional, continental and International Championships.

As you prepare to leave for the World Cup in Dubai, I wish you God’s blessings and call on you to remain focused on the goal of winning the World Cup. This is a feat that you are very capable of achieving given that in your recent participation in this tournament, you have at one time or another, beaten the top teams that you are going to meet in Dubai.

I also take this opportunity to sincerely thank your sponsors, Virgin Atlantic Airlines and Telkom Kenya among others, for the support that they have provided.

I urge them to continue providing this support, and encourage others to emulate their patriotic example. I now wish you a safe journey and a most successful trip to the World Cup.

Thank you and God Bless You All.