KERICHO, Kenya, November 9 – Athletics Kenya (AK) president Jack Tuwei has appealed to elite athletes to take the lead role in the fight against gender based violence (GBV) in the country.
Tuwei says athletes need to be proactive about the vice considering they have been one of the most affected by the menace.
“Particularly the senior athletes…We want them to take that role. Maybe, as they prepare to exit the stage that could be one of the best things they do for the upcoming athletes. We would like them to come up very strongly because they are the ones who are most affected,” he said.
Although it is Kenya’s most successful sport, athletics has from time to time featured in the headlines for the wrong reasons – chief among them, GBV.
A number of athletes, through the years, have lost their lives or incurred injuries at the hands of their loved ones.
In 2021, then world 10km record holder Agnes Tirop was found dead in her house in Iten with stab wounds allegedly inflicted by her partner.
A year later, Kenyan-born Bahraini runner Damaris Muthee was found dead in her alleged boyfriend’s house in Iten, with the main suspect having escaped to his native Ethiopia.
In September this year, Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei succumbed to burns inflicted by her alleged ex-lover who doused her with petrol before setting her ablaze in her home in Kitale.
A month later, the 2004 Vienna Marathon champion Samson Kandie was found dead at his home in Eldoret with deep cuts to his body.
Reflecting on this burgeoning monster in the athletics landscape, Tuwei said speaking out against it is the perfect countermeasure to GBV.
“We have a safeguarding policy that’s been in effect since the beginning of the year. It seeks to address sexual and gender based violence, all forms of exploitation and harassment. It seeks to ensure any vulnerable persons in the sport is protected. When you give us your experiences, tell us how you want to be protected, the things we need to do ensure you are safe,” Tuwei said.
He was speaking at the Sunshine Hotel on Friday afternoon during an engagement forum with athletes living in Kericho.
The forum is part of the ‘RESET-END GBV’ campaign, which is spearheaded by AK, Equity Bank, National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) and the State Department of Gender and State Department of Sports – supported by Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).
The session was preceded by a procession through Kericho town in which hundreds raised their voices in opposition to the menace.
Tuwei urged residents to help overcome GBV and honour the memory of their hero, Wilson Kiprugut, who was the first Kenyan Olympic medalist.
“Kericho has produced the highest number of medalist over the years. The first ever Olympian for Kenya came from this region. However, I want you to say enough is enough as far as GBV is concerned. It is the only way you can honour the memory of Wilson Kiprugut,” he said.
The campaign continues on Saturday at Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) in Iten.
