President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday said his Government has started an initiative to make tennis a public sport available for Kenyans from all walks of life.
The President said Kenya will follow the example of the United States where many tennis champions horned their skills in public courts rather than exclusive clubs for the well to do.
Uhuru made the statement when he held talks with officials of Ministry of Sports, International Tennis Federation, African Tennis Confederation and Tennis Kenya on the construction of a tennis training centre worth Sh700 million at the Kasarani Sports Complex.
The National Training Centre , which will also host the International Tennis Federation training centre for Africa, will be the second of its kind in Africa and is bound to put Kenya at the apex of international tennis.
The other ITF training centre in Africa is in Morocco but the Kenyan one will have the distinction of being at a high altitude.
The new facility will make Nairobi a hub for tennis in Eastern and Southern Africa. The centre can also be a source of huge revenue from sports tourism when it hosts tennis features.
The President said the Government has already allocated Sh30 million to start the construction of the facility and more is expected to be allocated through the next budget.
The President of African Tennis Confederation, Tarak Cherif, said the management of tennis in Kenya is one of the best in Africa and the new facility will enable the sport to rise to a new level.