New revelations now indicate that President Uhuru Kenyatta was last week forced to dispatch Deputy President William Ruto to Rio de Janeiro where the 2016 Olympics have been ongoing.
The move was reportedly prompted by what has now emerged to be a stinking mess that has marred affairs of Team Kenya in the Olympic Games.
Reports indicate that before DP Ruto embarked on the trip, numerous concerns had already been raised that top Kenyan officials were abetting foul play in the management of resources meant for athletes, their coaches and managers.
At the height of the controversy, President Kenyatta resolved to have DP Ruto fly to Brazil.
In an indication that all was not well, sources privy to the DP’s trip revealed that Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario and Principal Secretary Richard Ekai failed to turn up at the airport to receive Mr Ruto. He was met by Kenya’s Ambassador to Brazil, Mr Isaac Ochieng.
While in Brazil, the team complained to the DP that they were only issued with one kit for training and another for competing, despite the team’s official sponsors providing adequate kits.
According to the athletes, the National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOCK) officials were diverting the kits for sale in the Kenyan market.
A Kenyan Sports ministry official who accompanied Ruto noted that Nike had supplied 1,900 kits to NOCK well ahead of the games.
“Nike submitted 1,900 pieces of uniform both for training and racing to the 52 athletes who were in Rio. Nike had a different set for coaches, trainers and officials.
“Each athlete was given one kit for training and another for competing. The rest are understood to have been diverted to the local market here in Kenya. Nike were categorical that this was not the first time officials were failing to distribute uniforms to athletes and said they were fed up,” the Nation quotes the official who sought anonymity over fear breaching the rules of confidentiality.
The team’s captain to the games and Cherangany MP Wesley Korir noted: “It is very unfortunate that each athlete was given a pair of T-shirts yet according to Nike each was supposed to get eight pairs. Sandals and sunglasses, among others, were also missing.”
Interestingly, however, NOCK chairman Kipchoge Keino maintained that all was well adding that “there is no problem with uniforms. All the athletes were given enough pairs of uniform”.
It also emerged that Team Kenya’s chef de mission Stephen arap Soi, was selectively accrediting non-athletes and people who are not members of the technical team to the games at the expense of coaches.
A member of Mr Ruto’s contingent was quoted by the local daily faulting the role CS Wario and his PS had played in the games.
“CS Wario and the PS are not in the picture. They are incompetent and were not even aware of the DP’s arrival at the airport in Rio last Thursday. They were not at the airport to receive the DP.
“It is worrying that the CS and the PS are not aware of the list of athletes, coaches, trainers and officials who went to the Olympics except Mr Soi,” the official stated.
The athletes are also said to have complained that NOCK still owed them allowances.
Meanwhile, speculations abound that more than 200 joyriders including friends and relatives of the officials flew to Rio de Janeiro precipitating a crisis that has adversely affected the Kenyan team.
Even in the face of the challenges, the athletes have put up a spirited fight to ensure they do the country proud by clinching the medals.
