By OUR CORRESPONDENT
Twelve Kenyan coaches have graduated from the House of Coaches Project, an elite exchange programme born from the cordial and impactful relations between Kenya and the City of Miramas in France.
The graduating cohort included nine coaches specializing in athletics, and three others trained in taekwondo, cycling, and strength training.
Drawn from Kenya’s school system and local sports clubs, the coaches underwent an intensive training programme in Miramas, where they were exposed to modern coaching methodologies, cutting edge sports technology, world-class facilities, and deep insights from France’s highly developed sports science ecosystem.
Officiating the graduation ceremony in Miramas, Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, the Creative Economy and Sports, Salim Mvurya, applauded the determination, discipline, and resilience exhibited by the Kenyan coaches.
“I commend the 12 coaches for their commitment and perseverance throughout this rigorous programme. The longstanding friendship between Kenya and France continues to flourish through such meaningful collaborations. In line with our Ministry’s mandate to identify, nurture, and expose talent, I am confident that the skills gained will impact thousands of young athletes back home, transforming raw potential into tangible achievement,” said CS Mvurya.
The Cabinet Secretary further commended the City of Miramas for its advancement in integrating technology into sports development.
He emphasized Kenya’s intention to expand cooperation with France beyond the current disciplines, athletics, rugby, fencing, squash, basketball, and golf, to include emerging sectors such as e-sports and water sports, where France has already demonstrated global leadership.
“Through this visit, our team has witnessed firsthand the depth of infrastructure and technical expertise available in Miramas. We are especially impressed by the professionalism of French coaches, the innovative use of data, and the seamless integration of science in sports. These lessons are invaluable to Kenya’s evolving sports ecosystem,” he added.
CS Mvurya also highlighted the importance of broadening the partnership into arts, culture, and the creative economy, to empower youth beyond the sports field. “This is a natural progression for a youthful country like Kenya, brimming with talent in music, film, digital arts, and innovation. Miramas, with its mentorship capacity and world-class facilities, presents an ideal partner in this journey,” he stated.
He extended an invitation to the City of Miramas and French stakeholders to explore reciprocal collaborations in Kenya’s areas of strength, particularly training in high altitude athletics zones such as Iten in Elgeyo Marakwet County, as well as in sports tourism sectors including paragliding and mountain running.
The Kenya-Miramas partnership continues to grow, with Miramas having already supported the establishment of training grounds in Iten, a region globally renowned for producing world-class distance runners, a testament to the power of international collaboration in advancing youth empowerment and global sporting excellence.
