This archive report was first published on 16 August 2019.
On August 13, 2019, Kenya's national athletics and volleyball teams preparing for the African Games in Rabat, Morocco, were left stranded after being locked out of Luke Hotel due to non-payment of bills. This unfortunate incident is a stark reminder of the country's ongoing struggles with sports management.
The blame game between Sports Principal Secretary Kirimi Kaberia and the respective agencies is a clear indication that the buck stops with the government, through the Kenya National Sports Council (KNSC). It is disappointing to see that the country has not learned from past mistakes, such as the 2011 Maputo African Games and the 2016 Rio Olympic Games scandals.
It is clear that the preparations for the Games were sloppy from the start. The Steering Committee only met the team a month before the games started, and little was done to secure the Sh400 million budgeted cash on time. The camp was not formally launched, travels were poorly organised, and Team Kenya had to make do without ceremonial kits for the Games.
The incident highlights several issues, including the poor management of the preparations, the lack of coordination between agencies, and the failure to learn from past mistakes. It is also concerning that individuals implicated in past scams were managing the preparations.
