This archive report was first published on 25 August 2019.
On May 11, 2019, during the IAAF Okpekpe International 10-kilometre road race, Kenneth Kipkemoi collapsed as he was about to complete the competition. His compatriot Simon Cheprot carried him across the finish line, demonstrating the kind of humanity and compassion that Kenyan athletes often lack in their treatment by the country.
It's shocking to see how our sports people are treated like bottom-barrel rubbish. What did they ever do to deserve this disdain? The Paralympics team, who hauled 42 medals at the International Athletics in Marrakesh, demanded allowances for their struggle, but were they heard? The Kenyan female rugby team missed out on the Dubai Sevens due to urgency in ensuring their travel, and the athletics and volleyball teams for African Games were kicked out of their hotel for lack of payment.
The list of indignity and mismanagement of sports in Kenya is long and the recurrence is most disappointing. It's deeply unkind to ask patriotism of someone to whom the country has only shown hate and disdain. We should henceforth stop gaslighting badly treated athletes into choosing Kenya when Kenya publicly disowns them.
It's a choice for government and its sports managers to begin to do better by its people. There cannot be money for greedy legislators who do nothing but expand the wage bill but none for people who do so much for the country. It is indeed criminal how the mismanagement of people's livelihoods is done without consequence.
As long as this is the reality, I'd like Kenyan sportsmen to go places that see them with the honour they deserve. May they be cognisant of the fact that their primary duty is to honour themselves and that Kenya is not their cross to carry.
