National Olympic Committee of Kenya chairman Dr Kipchoge Keino.PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya
NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 1- Kenya’s Olympic chief Kipchoge Keino is under pressure to resign after four of his deputies were accused of mismanagement of the Kenyan team’s visit to the Rio Olympics.
Three of the officials, including secretary general Francis Paul and treasurer Fridah Shiroya, appeared in court this week while Team Kenya head Stephen Soi is yet to be formally to be charged.
According to police, the investigations are ongoing into theft of team uniforms, abuse of office and neglect of official duties.
Keino, 76, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and a board member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has not himself been implicated in the investigations that follow the shambolic handling of Kenya’s Olympics.
He has so far ignored a police summons to provide his account of the controversial events.
Kenya’s Olympic chief Kipchoge Keino (L) has not been implicated in the investigations into the shambolic handling of Kenya’s Olympics © POOL/AFP/File / Pascal Le Segretain
“Kip Keino might not be privy to the bad dealings within the National Olympic Committee of Kenya but he allowed himself to be surrounded by people who have used the office to enrich themselves,” a long-serving staff member told AFP.
“It is a case of one bad apple spoiling the whole barrel, and the chairman has no options but to step down,” said the source. “Things are very bad here.”
Last week Kenya’s sports minister Hassan Wario disbanded the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) and named an interim committee to function in its place.
NOCK offices were shut by police.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has expressed dissatisfaction at what it terms “government interference”.
