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Kenyan
athletes have prevented Athletics Kenya Exco meeting that was to reinstall
Isaiah Kiplagat at Athletics Kenya
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Kenyan athletes have
taken over the offices of Athletics Kenya (AK) in the capital, Nairobi, and
have blocked officials from entering. Members of the Professional Athletes Association
of Kenya told media people they want AK officials to step aside and allow
former athletes to manage the body.
Top
AK officials have been accused of corruption linked to a deal with Nike. They
deny any wrongdoing.
The
athletes also blame the officials for failing to deal with doping in the sport.
The
executive council of Athletics Kenya was scheduled to hold what was billed as
an important meeting this morning, which has now been aborted.
The
head of Athletics Kenya (AK) says he plans to retire and has called for an
early election next year after protesting athletics occupied the headquarters
of the sport's national governing body over corruption allegations.
Isaiah
Kiplagat told me that today's meeting was called to initiate the very change
the protesters say they want.
He
questioned the status of the protesters saying "serious athletes are
training, they have no time for demonstration".
Mr
Kiplagat alleged that despite what they say, the organizers of the protest
don't want change.
Members
of the Professional Athletes Association of Kenya told the BBC they want AK
officials to step aside and allow former athletes to manage the body.
AK
has been engulfed in doping and corruption allegations which they deny.
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Kenyan
athletes have prevented Athletics Kenya EXco meeting that was to reinstall
Isaiah Kiplagat at Athletics Kenya
|
AFP
reports that over 60 Kenyan athletes on Monday stormed the offices of Athletics
Kenya (AK) offices to demand officials accused of corruption be sacked and for
doping allegations to be properly investigated.
The
athletes, chanting and carrying placards, took over AK offices in Nairobi,
barricading themselves inside shortly after dawn and before officials arrived
for work.
"We
are not leaving this place until our grievances have been heard and
addressed," Julius Ndegwa, the organising secretary of the Professional
Athletes Association of Kenya (PAAK) told reporters.
"We
want to solve the long standing issues affecting us in regards to corruption,
doping and other matters."
A
report in a British newspaper, The Sunday Times, last week suggested that AK
vice president, David Okeyo, who is also Kenya's IAAF council member, was among
three Kenyan athletics officials who allegedly siphoned $700,000 from money
paid to AK as part of a sponsorship deal.
It
said Okeyo, AK chairman Isaiah Kiplagat and former treasurer Joseph Kinyua had
been questioned by police in Kenya amid accusations that they paid themselves,
mostly in cash, from the national federation’s bank account.
Okeyo
has denied any wrong-doing, while the others are yet to comment.
"Corruption
has been active in this office, the officials have not been taking this issue
of doping seriously and they have to be removed," Ndegwa said. "We
are demanding the officials be removed with immediate effect - and action taken
against them."
There
was no immediate response from AK officials.
Ndegwa
said the athletes had also been humiliated" and said AK had not acted
investigated properly reports of doping.
Many
in Kenya fear doping is rife among their top class athletes, runners who have
been the source of enormous national pride.
More
than 30 Kenyan athletes have been suspended and five more banned since 2012
after testing positive for banned performance-enhancing drugs.
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