Athletics glory under threat as we’re held captive to warlords

US athlete Stanley Kipkoech Kebenei (left), Uganda's Boniface Sikowo and Kenya's Conseslus Kipruto (right) go through the water jump in the heats of the men's 3,000m steeplechase at the 2017 IAAF World Championships at the London Stadium in London on August 6, 2017. Olympic champion Conseslus Kipruto is a promising athlete. PHOTO | ADRIAN DENNIS | AFP

What you need to know:

  • We actually take it as a fail when we don’t get all the three medals: Gold, silver and bronze.
  • The inciters should be on notice that they will be arrested and prosecuted.

Some time later this afternoon, I will make my way to the polling station at Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi, and make my considered selections.

Like every other Kenyan, I am being forced to vote in a climate of great fear and apprehension.

Occupying my thoughts will not be the fact that the voting will be peaceful as always but that, later in the night as we await the election results, great dangers loom.

ATHLETICS
I have the precise time that we must all be alert: The first one will sound at 11.10pm and the second exactly 25 minutes later, at 11:35pm.

The first threat comes in the shape and form of a lanky American called Evan Jager, and the second from a diminutive man from Botswana called Nijel Amos.

Yes, as we sit here captive to the thieves and ethnic warlords we are electing to office, the athletics diadems we have made our own since time immemorial are in danger of being snatched at the World Athletics Championships in London.

Take the men’s 3,000 metres steeplechase.

MEDALS

We do not discuss whether we will win the gold medal; only if we will make a clean sweep.

We actually take it as a fail when we don’t get all the three medals: Gold, silver and bronze.

Now that the tall American has emerged as a real threat to Kenyan assumptions that the gold is already in the bag.

It is almost unthinkable that storied multiple champion Ezekiel Kemboi and compatriot Jairus Birech failed to secure automatic qualification slots in the heats and only made it to tonight’s final through the lottery of ‘fastest loser’.

BIRECH
Another Kenyan with a glorious steeplechase history, Brimin Kipruto, faced the indignity of being eliminated altogether.

If the fabled Kemboi has finally run out of gas and the younger Birech has been showing inconsistent form, then Kenyan hopes rest on young Olympic champion Conseslus Kipruto.

The heir-apparent to Kemboi would ordinarily be a sure bet for gold but he had to brave a niggling ankle injury in winning his semi-final and will be hoping for some overnight magic from the physiotherapists.

RUDISHA
Then he also has to contend with the form of Jager, the Olympic silver medalist who has in the recent past run Kenyans close but this season is coming into his own.

Joining Jager in the pack hunting down the Kenyans will be Moroccan Soufiane Elbakkali and Frenchman Mahiedine Mekhissi amongst other podium prospects.

Then there is the men’s 800m that starts shortly after the steeplechase ends.

With Kenya’s reservoir of talent, the absence through injury of reigning world and Olympic champion and world record holder David Rudisha should have been no cause for worry.

DEFEAT
‘King David’, in any case, has been going through an indifferent patch and this season has been regularly bested by a crop of emerging young countrymen.

The pretenders to the throne wilted in London, with only teenager Kipyegon Bett making it to the final.

Another exciting youngster, Emmanuel Korir, locked up in the last few steps of the semi-finals while the seasoned Ferguson Rotich also failed to progress.

Bett will have his work cut out for him fending off Amos, the only man to seriously threaten Rudisha’s dominance over the past few seasons.

VIOLENCE
Also in the mix will be Canadian Brandon McBride, Ethiopian Mohammed Aman and Pole Adam Kszczot amongst others with realistic gold prospects.

I will put reason and logic aside and bet on Bett.

Now back to our madness.

As I said, the actual voting will be remarkably peaceful as always.

The shenanigans that incite violence come with the counting, transmission, tallying and announcement of results.

INCITING
We have a gazillion election observers from all over the world trying to learn how we steal elections but I also hope that the fellows from the International Criminal Court are also around and keeping their beady eyes on President Uhuru Kenyatta and his main challenger Raila Odinga, as well as their respective running mates William Ruto and Kalonzo Musyoka.

If we have a violent aftermath, the candidates who have been preaching hate messages and inciting their ethnic fortresses against each other must directly and personally be held accountable.

The inciters should be on notice that they will be arrested, shackled and spirited away to the comforts of the jailhouse in The Hague.

Email: [email protected] Twitter @MachariaGaitho