Team to Rio Olympics worst managed in Kenya’s history
Athletics coach John Anzrah at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport upon arrival from the 2016 Rio Olympics on August 12, 2016. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The mess saw most athletes organise their own travelling arrangements with their managers.
- Several coaches including Catherine Ndereba and John Anzrah also missed out on accommodation at the athlete village as they sought refuge outside.
- Sprinter Calvin Nkanata had to wait until the day of his 200m event to know his fate after the Team Kenya management bundled his entry.
- Millions of shillings were also wired to NOC-K accounts without the knowledge of some NOC-K top officers.
Previously, the handling of Team Kenya for the Olympic Games might have been marked with mismanagement and controversies before but that must have reached unconceivable levels during the 2016 Rio Summer Games.
The mess started from the haphazard travelling arrangements that saw key athletes like Olympic javelin silver medallist Julius Yego and chaperone Catherine Ndereba among others miss their air tickets.
The mess saw most athletes organise their own travelling arrangements with their managers.
Several coaches including Catherine Ndereba and John Anzrah also missed out on accommodation at the athlete village as they sought refuge outside.
Sprinter Calvin Nkanata had to wait until the day of his 200m event to know his fate after the Team Kenya management bundled his entry.
Team kitting was another muddle where some athletes failed to get their competition gear on time for instance the men’s marathon team that saw the Team Kenya kit provider Nike intervening the last minute.
However, what brought the happenings at Rio Olympics to the fore was when the remaining Team Kenya members were taken to some hostels in the slums after the Olympic village was closed.
Team Kenya captain Wesley Korir highlighted their predicament which led to a stern reaction from President Uhuru Kenyatta among other Kenyans.
Team Kenya chef de mission Stephen Soi, National Olympic of Kenya (NOC-K) secretary general Francis Paul, NOC-K treasurer Fridah Shiroya, deputy treasurer James Chacha and general team manager Pius Ochieng were all arrested and locked up upon arrival; from the Rio Olympics.
Soi, Paul, Shiroya and Ochieng were officially charged in court on September 28, this year over the mismanagement of the team and abuse of office. The charges included the embezzlement of funds amounting to over Sh 26m, fraud and Team Kenya kit disappearance.
At the same time, a Parliamentary Committee on Labour set up a probe where revelations of how funds were misused cropped up including the booking of yatch for President Uhuru Kenyatta yet he had earlier on indicated that would not travel.
Millions of shillings were also wired to NOC-K accounts without the knowledge of some NOC-K top officers.
