Kiambu MP Machua Waithaka has stepped up efforts to promote sports and youth talent in the constituency, sponsoring a table tennis tournament at the Ndumberi Jitume ICT Hub as part of a wider programme aimed at keeping young people engaged in constructive activities.
The tournament brought together young players from Ndumberi and neighbouring areas, with winners receiving prizes at an event that also provided an opportunity for the legislator to outline plans for expanding recreational activities at the youth centre.
Mr Waithaka said the Ndumberi facility should serve as a platform where young people can discover and develop their talents while building friendships and acquiring skills.
He said the constituency plans to organise regular activities at the centre, including badminton, pool, music and other games.
“This youth centre is yours. We want to have activities here every month,” Mr Waithaka told the gathering.
He said the planned activities were intended to provide young people with alternatives to spending time on the streets, where they could be exposed to alcohol and other social pressures.
“Come here, play games, make friendships and discover your talent,” he said.
The MP said the centre would be developed into a more vibrant recreational and skills development hub, with plans to introduce basketball, chess, darts and other activities.
He also proposed improvements to the outdoor facilities, including lighting and seating, to enable young people to use the centre for longer hours.
Mr Waithaka used the tournament to highlight the potential of sports to transform the lives of young people, citing professional golfer Michael Karanga, who he said began developing his talent in Ndumberi.
Karanga, who addressed the gathering, urged parents to support children interested in sports rather than discouraging them from participating.
He described himself as a beneficiary of sports and said his journey demonstrated how talent nurtured at community level could eventually open opportunities at national and international level.
“Do not take sport for granted. You never know who will become the next champion,” Karanga told the young players.
He encouraged parents to allow children to participate in football, table tennis, golf and other disciplines, saying sporting activities could provide both careers and a positive use of young people’s time.
Karanga also praised the constituency’s initiative to provide recreational opportunities, saying structured sporting programmes could help keep young people away from alcohol and other distractions.
Mr Waithaka said the table tennis competition was only the beginning of a broader programme.
He announced plans for a badminton tournament next month, followed by pool and music activities, with other competitions expected to be introduced later.
The MP said the programme would seek to make the youth centre a place where young people could participate in different activities depending on their interests.
“If it is not table tennis, it will be basketball. If it is not basketball, it will be scramble. If it is not scramble, it will be chess,” he said.
Mr Waithaka also used the occasion to highlight other programmes undertaken through his office, including the Jitume short courses in catering, plumbing, electrical work and beauty.
He said about 3,000 young people had graduated from the short course programmes since he took office, and urged families to encourage their children to enrol in skills training.
He further cited investments in education, saying the constituency had constructed 40 new classrooms and renovated 132 others since the 2022/23 financial year.
The MP said his office was also working to improve learning conditions in schools, including classrooms, sanitation facilities and furniture.
He said the objective was to create an environment in which pupils could compete for admission to national schools and pursue careers in professions such as engineering, medicine and architecture.
Mr Waithaka also raised concerns over the financing of sports programmes under the National Government Constituencies Development Fund, saying sports activities required predictable funding.
He said he would push for the restoration of funding for sports programmes to enable constituencies to support young people participating in different disciplines.
“We need resources for sports because young people are asking for football and other games to continue,” he said.
The MP said the Ndumberi Jitume centre was also being used to expose young people to digital and vocational opportunities.
He gave an example of young people being trained to connect businesses and clients in the transport sector, saying digital skills could enable them to earn income without necessarily leaving the country.
He urged residents to make greater use of the facility and participate in the programmes being introduced.
Local social media personality Kariuki Kiruga also welcomed the initiative, urging the constituency to incorporate music training and entertainment activities into the programme.
He proposed the introduction of instruments such as guitars and keyboards and the organisation of occasional community music events at the centre.
Mr Waithaka said the facility would remain open to young people interested in constructive activities, but warned that alcohol consumption would not be permitted at the centre.
The tournament comes amid growing calls for greater investment in grassroots sports as a means of identifying talent, promoting healthy lifestyles and creating opportunities for young people.
For the participants at Ndumberi, however, the immediate focus was competition, camaraderie and the possibility that a simple table tennis match could mark the beginning of a much bigger sporting journey.
