• Victims include Agnes Tirop, Edna Muthoni, Damaris Mutua and Rebecca Cheptegei
• Association is 'deeply troubled' by the incidents, which they condemned strongly
Image: BY MATHEWS NDANYI
The North Rift Lady Lawyers' Association has demanded immediate and tough action against increasing incidents of gender-based violence and femicide against female athletes in Kenya.
Ugandan marathoner Rebecca Cheptegei died in Kenya last week after being doused with petrol and set ablaze by her boyfriend.
Speaking in Eldoret on Friday led by Mercy Ruto, the lawyers said this adds to the horrific deaths of local runners Agnes Tirop, Edna Muthoni and Damaris Mutua.
“These incidents underscore a critical failure in our legal and protective systems and also reveal alarming patterns of exploitation and abuse within our sports industry,” Ruto said, reading a statement by the group.
Others present included lawyers Emma Oduor, Anne Munyua, and Marion Rotich along with Alice Saina from the civil society groups.
They spoke on behalf of more than 120 female lawyers who are members of the association.
The association strongly condemned the trend, saying it is troubled.
Ruto said the tragic events also revealed a disturbing pattern where intimate partner relationships have become a source of violence rather than support for the female athletes.
The lawyers regretted that the athletes, who represented the pinnacle of Kenya's athletic excellence, were violently murdered by their partners and that the perpetrators were yet to be held accountable.
The lawyers noted that besides femicide, recent investigations had exposed deeply troubling practices within athletics training camps in Kenya, including forced and negotiated abortions.
“The female athletes are coerced into abortions under duress or as a condition for competition,” Ruto said.
The lawyers also claimed that other troubling and inhuman practices in the camps included manipulation of menstrual cycles to optimise performance, disregarding the health of the athletes.
They claimed there had been many cases of falsification of medical documents and records so that athletes are made to meet competition requirements.
The lawyers also alleged financial blackmail and sexual harassment of athletes at the camps for selection purposes.
“We have instances of financial extortion and sexual favours demanded in exchange for team selection and entry into elite meets,” Ruto said.
"Especially taking advantage of new, young athletes by diverting and/or embezzling the funds gained from their races."
The said the revelations point to a broader issue of exploitation by foreign-based managers, coaches and unregulated camp operators.
“Unlike countries with stringent controls like Ethiopia, Kenya's regulatory environment remains inadequate, failing to protect athletes from these abuses,” Ruto said.
She said they want immediate legal reform to ensure that perpetrators of GBV and femicide are held accountable and that protective measures for athletes are enforced.
“We will also push for enhanced regulation and oversight so we have implementation of more strict regulations and licensing requirements for athlete training camps and foreign managers to prevent exploitation and abuse,” she said.
Athletics Kenya, through its official Barnabas Korir, said they had seen the issues raised by the lawyers and would give a comprehensive response.
The lawyers said they would work to undertake sensitisation of the female athletes, ensure increased support systems and advocate for comprehensive reforms in the athletics sector.
Ruto said they are also ready to offer free legal services to the athletes where necessary.
The lawyers said they are committed to advocating for justice, legal reforms and enhanced protections for female athletes.
This includes offering pro bono services to indigent athletes, family members of deceased athletes and victims of human rights violations.