Francis
Paul, the secretary-general of the now disbanded National Olympics Committee of
Kenya (NOCK), Pius Ochieng, the vice-chairman and Stephen Soi, Kenya Judo
Association chairman and chef de mission of Kenya’s team to the Olympics have
already had their day in court as the government seeks to give answers to the
fiasco that happened in Rio.
Two others,
Michael Rotich (team manager) and John Anzrah, a sprints coach have also been
taken to court over corruption and doping allegations that threatened to smear
Kenya’s campaign in Rio.
As the
government seeks answers and a possible punishment for the five (and possibly
more names), it is an opportunity to cure the mismanagement and
ill-administration that a few Kenyans subject sportsmen and women in the name
of leading these national federations.
During the
Rio Olympics, incidents of missing kits, poor travel and accommodation of
athletes and a bloated contingent of officials were all too common as our
dedicated men and women tried their best to fly high the Kenyan flag.
Hassan
Wario, the Sports cabinet secretary disbanded the team in a move that was
widely seen as a bold move by the government to reign in on a culture of
corruption and mismanagement that has for long hindered development of Kenyan
sports.
Football
Kenya Federation especially in the past years before the current Nick
Mwendwa-led office took over, falls into this category and so do boxing,
cycling and other disciplines.
Rugby is the
only sport that has steered clear of these murky waters.
The
disbandment of NOCK should not be an end in itself but rather the start of an
unforgiving process to weed Kenyan sports federations of incapable leaders who
have made these positions their right.
Maybe proper
management will help tame defections that have cost this nation a great deal.
Olympic champion and newly-crowned world record holder in the Women’s 3,000meters Irene Jebet is one of the
many athletics talents that have exchanged their nationality in the face of
better management and treatment offered by Bahrain and other nations.
Just like
NOCK, all other national federations must be cleaned. Officials who have been
at the helm for decades should go home and so should the culture of impunity
and stinking mismanagement that has bedeviled sports administration.
Punitive
action to set a precedent that abuse of office in the name of sports
administration will never go un-punished must be set.
The NOCK and
Athletics Kenya officials should be used to set the example (if found guilty).
The vice has
for long killed sporting talents and forced others to trade their nationality.
The Rio fiasco that befell our athletes was a shame but it was God-sent;
opportunity to slay the dragon of sports mismanagement in Kenya.
The
time is now!
