This archive report was first published on 26 July 2019.
On September 25, 2019, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) will hold its Congress in Doha, Qatar, two days before the start of the World Athletics Championships. It is at this event that Athletics Kenya President Jackson Tuwei will contest for one of the vice president positions, a move driven by the desire for the region and Africa to have a say in the happenings at the IAAF's corridors of power.
According to Tuwei, a retired Lieutenant General at the Kenya Defence Forces, he will also seek election as one of the Council Members during the IAAF Congress. This decision comes after Kenya has been without representation at the IAAF since 2015, a period during which some decisions have been made that have affected Kenyan athletes.
Tuwei's bid for the vice president position will see him compete against nine other contestants, including Ibrahim Shehu-Gusau from Nigeria. The position has attracted a diverse pool of candidates, with at least one of the positions expected to go to a woman.
Among those seeking to defend their positions are Sergey Bubka from Ukraine, who is also the senior vice president, and Alberto Juantorena from Cuba. Cameroonian Hamad Kalkaba Malboum, who is also the Confederation of Africa Athletics (CAA) president, has announced that he will not seek re-election as one of the vice presidents.
Other contestants include Ahmad Al Kamali from the United Arab Emirates, Nawaf Bin Mohammed Al Saud from the Kingdom of South Arabia, and India's Adille Sumariwalla. Three women will also be seeking election as vice presidents: Dutch Sylvia Barlag, Abby Hoffman from Canada, and Chinese Ximena Restrepo.
Tuwei believes that Kenya's long history of success in athletics makes it only fair that the country plays a key role in decision-making at the highest level. He plans to officially launch his bid in the coming days and establish a campaign machinery to ensure his victory.
