Schoolchildren and MMUST students march to the University sports ground during the 2024 International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.
Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology has partnered with the Kenya National Commission for UNESCO to host the 2024 International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP). The event, which takes place annually on 6 April, was marked in MMUST on Friday, 5 April, 2024, bringing together over 1000 schoolchildren and a number of sports experts countrywide. The KNATCOM UNESCO delegates to MMUST were officially received by the Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor (Planning, Research and Innovation)-Prof. Josephine Ngaira, on behalf of the Ag. Vice Chancellor-Prof. Charles Mutai.
“As a University that is passionate about promoting sports, we are happy to have been selected to host this year’s International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. MMUST’s Department of Health Promotion and Sport Science is one of the most vibrant sections in the University and I would like to commend it for organizing such an activity,” stated Prof. Ngaira during a courtesy call at the Vice Chancellor’s office. She added that the event is in line with the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).
The Ag. DVC (Planning, Research and Innovation)-Prof. Josephine Ngaira (left) gives a gifts a bag to the Deputy Director-Ethics of Science and Sports at UNESCO, Dr. Orpha Nyakundi, at the Vice Chancellor’s office.
Speaking during the event, the Deputy Director-Ethics of Science and Sports at UNESCO, Dr. Orpha Nyakundi, emphasized the importance of sports, saying that it is a lifelong activity. “Sports is a unifier and should be utilized to support sustainable development as well as promote a cohesive community. I call on all stakeholders to do proper sensitization to communities as to the value of sports especially in relation to health,” said Dr. Nyakundi, who acknowledged that MMUST is doing very well in sporting activities.
“We are proud and happy that UNESCO chose us to host this year’s event, which is a great opportunity for MMUST to showcase its strengths to the world. The University is still growing and we look forward to developing better facilities to enhance our sports programmes,” stated the Chairperson of the organizing committee, and a staff member of the Health Promotion and Sport Science (HPSS) Department, Prof. Edwin Wamukoya.
Prof. Edwin Wamukoya speaks to the members of the fourth estate during the event. With him is Prof. Peter Bukhala.
In his remarks, Prof. Peter Bukhala, a sports scientist from the HPSS Department, pointed out that the University is keen on conducting such activities in a bid to prepare Schools for the CBC transition. “We are glad to host children from different schools today. It is important for kids to expose themselves to different sporting activities as early as possible, because they are tomorrow’s talents for national and international sports teams,” he said.
Notably, the Chairperson-HPSS Department, Dr. Elizabeth Mse, and Dr. Issah Kweyu, a sociology of sport specialist, were also present during the event. The exercise was also attended by the national treasurer for Cricket Kenya-Mr. Kalpesh Solanki, who has been a top player for Kenya hockey and badminton games, as well as Mr. Tom Tikolo, a Cricket game legend.
Cricket game legend, Mr. Tom Tikolo, addresses the media during the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace held at MMUST.
The children engaged in a number of sporting activities and were guided by MMUST staff and students. The games included Cricket, Handball, Soccer, Softball, Skating, guided running for children with disabilities, Gymnastics and Mass Aerobics.
Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology’s partnership with the Kenya National Commission for UNESCO in organizing such an event is a great move towards promoting peaceful and inclusive societies through sports. Certainly, this event not only showcased MMUST’s potential in sports, but was also an opportunity for placing the Western region on the global map.
