Series of bungles deal National Olympic Committee of Kenya blow

Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario speaks during a Press Conference on August 25, 2016, at his Kencom House offices in Nairobi. Court has asked Mr Wario and Attorney General to respond to National Olympic Committee of Kenya suit. PHOTO | FILE

What you need to know:

  • President warned it would not be normal business
  • ‘Enough is enough!’ Sports CS thunders as Rio fiasco finally comes to a boil

The Government’s decision to disband the National Olympic Committee of Kenya was a culmination of a string of scandals and embarrassments that dogged Team Kenya at the just concluded Rio Olympic Games.  

Under fire Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario announced this unprecedented decision on Thursday during a press briefing at his Kencom House offices in Nairobi.

Wario also announced the setting up of a probe committee to investigate the allegations.

This probe team the CS said, will present its findings to him for appropriate action on or before September 30.

“Enough is enough!,” said Wario. “I am transferring their responsibilities to Sports Kenya as interim custodians of the new constitution and the setting up of an election calendar,” he added.

During the briefing, Wario who was the most discussed personality by Kenyans on Twitter in the morning via the hashtag #WarioMustGo, had absolved himself from any blame over the embarrassing state of affairs that clouded Kenya’s unrivalled success on the track and field.

Instead, the CS castigated NOC-K officials for high-handedness and mismanaging team Kenya affairs, suggesting he had been powerless to stop this mess from escalating considering the International Olympic Committee rulebook exclusively mandates them to manage the national team’s affairs.

“NOC-K (and not the Government) organizes the Olympics. Its officials are in charge of equipment, transport, accommodation and have the sole exclusive authority over everything including the colour of uniform,” Wario explained.

Interestingly, Wario also revealed he had stepped in to manage the situation when matters went completely out of hand, as was the case when he ordered the deportation of team Kenya’s manager Michael Rotich from Rio. 

He also revealed he together with Deputy President William Ruto had held a meeting with senior officials from giant kit maker Nike, in a bid to unravel the puzzle as to how several kits meant for team Kenya’s players and coaches disappeared to.

Rotich was expelled from the village and sent home after reportedly demanding bribes to give advance warnings to athletes on impending doping tests. “I made the decision to deport him because he was shaming our country,” the CS confirmed.

The NOC-K ban cames in the wake of an ultimatum by President Uhuru Kenyatta that officials will “face consequences for administrative failures” which hinder the development and successes of sports and ultimately force athletes to defect and represent other countries.

The President stated that “the problems which frustrated many people on international assignments go a long way to erode incentives for our young athletes. They should be, and will be a thing of the past very shortly.”

TRAVEL HITCHES

The probe committee formed by Wario is made up of Paul Ochieng’ who is the Dean of Students, Strathmore University, Japson Gitonga, a Senior Assistant Commissioner, Department of Sports and Kenya National Sports Council member Charles Nyaberi. Others are former Nairobi branch volleyball chairman Moses Mbuthia and ex-athletes Moses Kiptanui, Elizabeth Olaba and Rose Tata Muya.

Kenya posted its best performance in the history of the Games returning with 13 medals (six Gold, six Silver and one bronze).

Kenya finished 15th overall on the medal table. This performance was however dampened by bungled organisation that so infuriated the general public.

The Nation, on three separate occasions, exclusively highlighted how a number of athletes and coaches, including javelin thrower Julius Yego and marathon champ Eliud Kipchoge, had their arrangements thrown into disarray due to travel hitches.

There were also reports some of Kenya’s team official sports wear at the Games, which was distributed by Nike, had been sold by officials.

This is not the first time that the government is disbanding a sports organisation History is replete with the central authority repeatedly dissolving the national football body over corruption and mismanagement issues.

So was the suggestion the Sports Ministry sanctioned the travel of several joy riders, including spouses and girlfriends of senior officials, at the expense of the comfort of participating athletes.