This archive report was first published on 15 August 2019.
On August 14, 2019, athletes and the women's volleyball team were ejected from their hotel rooms at the Lukes Hotel in Kenya due to unsettled bills.
The government swiftly intervened, allowing the athletes to return to the hotel, but concerns remained about their welfare as they prepared for the African Games.
Amina Mohammed, Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage, released a statement on August 14, 2019, distancing the ministry from the incident and blaming the respective federations (Athletics Kenya and Kenya Volleyball Federation) for booking the athletes in a non-designated hotel.
According to Amina, the Games Steering Committee had resolved that teams would be accommodated in approved Government-owned facilities, including the Stadion Hotel, Kasarani, Utalii College, Kenya School of Monetary Studies, and Kenyatta University Athletes Village.
However, some athletes were booked at a hotel outside these designated facilities without consultation, Amina stated.
The government has assured athletes that they have enough budgetary allocations to cater for the Games, with a budget of Sh335,773,111 approved by the Sports Fund Oversight Board to cover expenses such as athletes' local allowances, residential training, air tickets, overseas allowances, and accommodation.
The teams are set to leave for Morocco in four batches, with the first batch, including Beach Volleyball players, already in Rabat, and the second batch departing on August 15, 2019.
