This archive report was first published on 14 August 2019.
On Tuesday night, a team of athletes and volleyball players set to represent Kenya at the Africa Games in Morocco were evicted from their hotel rooms at the St. Luke's Hotel along Thika Road due to unpaid accommodation bills.
The teams had been residing in the hotel ahead of the continental games, which are scheduled to take place from August 19 to 31 in Morocco.
World Champion Julius Yego posted photos of the evicted athletes on social media, showing them with their luggage and unable to leave the hotel until their bills were paid.
According to Yego, the athletes found their belongings at the lounge upon returning from training around 5 pm on that evening.
Yego slammed the ministry for frustrating athletes, saying they considered quitting due to the poor treatment.
"We have not even had supper! This is so disrespectful to be treated this way. It is shameful and yet we always get to the field to fight for our country. If this is how our own government pays us back, then it is a pity," a volleyball player said.
However, Sports Principal Secretary Kirimi Kaberia accused Athletics Kenya (AK) of blackmail, claiming they had been instructed to ensure the athletes put up at government facilities.
According to Kaberia, AK and their volleyball counterparts did not consult or seek approval from the ministry before booking at the St. Luke Hotel.
This incident is the latest in a series of neglect and disrespect faced by Kenyan sportspeople, including the national basketball team's plea for help with their allowances at the FIBA Afrobasket in Dakar, Senegal.
