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The Sports Disputes Tribunal yesterday barred the planned elections and annual general meeting of the Kenya National Paralympics Committee throwing the whole exercise in confusion.

The polls that were to be held at Nyayo Stadium came a cropper after a faction of the Committee went to seek legal redress over a list of nominees for various seats with Cerebral Palsy and Mentally Handicapped officials protesting being left out.

The two groups accused the NationalParalympics Committee of deliberately leaving them out thus rushing to Court where they got the interim orders.

Speaking to the press, the sitting Paralympics Chairperson Agnes Oluoch divulged that the protestations were temporary and was hopeful a solution will be found soon.

“We received communication via email on Thursday night on the cancellation of the elections through a courts order and so we had to abide by it and suspend the polls.

“It is only unfortunate that Africa Paralympics Committee and International Paralympics Committee had sent observers yet here we are.

“We will endeavour to respect the orders and head to the Sports Disputes Tribunal for guidance on the way forward next week,” she said.

It is not yet clear when the elections date will be again but Oluoch expressed optimism that the underlying issues will be sorted out in amicable fashion.

“We developed a new structure in the Paralympics committee which was duly adopted and validated by the Executive Council.

”What we have as the primary concern is that the Wheelchair and Amputee Federations were supposed to be merged to reflect one body and therefore have one vote but this has been dragged by a couple of hiccups.

“We have an instruction letter from the International Paralympics Committee (IPC) but we have been unable to act upon it due to a couple of challenges including COVID-19 and that is why elections have continuously been postponed,” the under-fire Oluoch who has however confirmed mediation talks are underway to solve any impasse added.

In a swift rejoinder, the Kenya Sports Association for Mentally Handicapped Secretary-General Pauline Awange accused the existing off ice of KNPC of trying to carry out an illegality in fullknowledge.

Awange dismissed the Ages Oluoch led Committee as strangers. In a strongly
worded presser yesterday, Awange warned that the tradition of neglecting membership of the parent Committee would not be further tolerated.

“The offiice as it is has been an illegality for the past five years (since 2018) and
that is on record. People who are trying to organise elections are themselves not even registered so basically, they are strangers. We were not informed at all of the planned elections and only learnt it
later so we had to rush to the SDT to find solace,”Awange said.

Additionally, Awange accused the National Paralympic Committee of neglecting the other four members of the Committee and carrying out programmes insolitude without consultation.

“We are among four registered bodies yet it is almost as if they do not recognize us. Our Athletes who struggle in training cannot even get tournaments and it is unfair,”she stated.

“We have always tried to get an audience but we have been ignored. We are dealing with strangers minus portfolios and what they were purporting to do is obviously wrong,” she added.