Kenya Olympic Committee elections flop

The much anticipated National Olympic Committee of Kenya elections failed to take place on Friday, after one of the aggrieved delegate obtained a court order which barred the exercise that would have ushered in a new era.

The outgoing chairman Kipchoge Keino, who is expected to be replaced by former marathon world record holder, Paul Tergat, had this to say.

“We will not have it because the court order has been issue and we cannot go against the court order. So those are the changes. This thing has been adjourned until we get the result on Monday”

The Kenya Tae Kwondo Federation moved to court to stop the elections citing infringement and contravention of fundamental rights and freedom of its members barred from participating in the exercise.

“This had nothing to do with me being barred. The issue is that, the rights of Tae Kwondo as a federation was violated. The national Olympic Committee gave an assignment for Centre for Multiparty Democracy to carry out an election and that is the only mandate,” said Stephen Soi, outgoing deputy treasurer, Kenyan National Olympic Committee.

This has caused jitters among the athletics fraternity as Kenya risks jeopardizing its participation in the forthcoming Youth Commonwealth Games set for June, in Bahamas.

“As the wait continues, the future of Kenyan sports men and women and the country’s participation in the forthcoming youth commonwealth games now lies in limbo,” said Africanews’ correspondent in Kenya, Elvince Joshua.

The east African country is renowned for its long-distance running prowess but the scandal-plagued Olympic committee and doping allegations among some of its top athletes have dented this image.