Kenyan swimming stakeholders have rolled out a comprehensive strategy to unlock a far-reaching standoff between the country and the world governing body, Fina.
There is renewed hope after the Fina Stabilization Committee met Kenya Swimming Federation stakeholders at the Stadion Hotel on October 6 to chart the way forward. The meeting was graced by Fina Vice President Ramsamy Sambasivan.
South Africa's Jace Naidoo has been appointed to chair the committee which also has National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) secretary general, Francis Mutuku and Uganda's Moses Mwase as members.
The gist of the talks is to free the country from an existing ban that has locked it out of the global stage for the past two years. Local swimmers have been gracing international events as neutral athletes without the Kenyan flag.
So far, Fina has already set the conditions necessary to steer the country back to normalcy. Mutuku has assured that the committee has adopted an all-inclusive approach as it fervently embarks on the healing process. He has urged the warring federation factions to bury the hatchet to expedite the entire exercise.
Mutuku said they aim to seek common ground in the impasse which has brought all swimming activities in the country to a standstill. Plans are also in place to set a clear roadmap for the election of a new breed of officials by the close of the year.
The NOCK honcho was emphatic that long-term solutions to the sport only lie within. The committee has been mandated to run day-to-day operations for swimming in the country until the end of December when polls will be held. They will also review and amend the constitution and ensure it complies with Fina statutes.
The Committee will also establish the 2023/2024 Kenya Swimming Federation calendar to support the continued participation of Kenyan swimmers in local, regional, and international events. There is a need to establish an environment of trust for all that to be achieved.
Fina executive director, Brent Nowicki, said they have been forced to come up with the Stabilization Committee following repeated failure by KSF to hold elections by FINA rules. Incessant wrangles have characterised KSF since 2013 when Ben Ekumbo was in charge.
When Ekumbo was forced out of office in 2016 after being adversely mentioned in the Olympics Team Kenya kit scandal, many people hoped things would change. Unfortunately, the wrangles persisted even after Pius Muiyah stepped into Ekumbo's shoes.
The federation’s elections were postponed twice in two years, prompting Fina to crack the whip. Eventually, an interim management committee led by lawyer Sanjeev Khagram was put in place by the Sports Dispute Tribunal to prepare the road map for elections.
The wrangles in the country have denied talented youth opportunities to advance their careers. For a long time, Kenya has not produced top swimmers in the mould of Dunford siblings Jason and David, who competed in the 2008 and 2012 editions of the Olympic Games.
despite having swimmers at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the situation within the fraternity has not been rosy. Kenyan swimmers have suffered a great deal over the years and it's a high time the federation got their act right.
