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Two more officials from the Kenyan Swimming Federation’s Interim Management Committee (IMC) have tendered their resignations taking the number to three in the last four days.

Stanley Kaberu (IMC Member) and Kenneth Karani ((Head of Secretariat) wrote to Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) Chairman John Ohaga on Tuesday, 14 June, to confirm their resignations from the committee and, in turn, join Head of Strategy and Innovative Thinking Elijah Kimani. The latter also quit his role on Friday the 10th.

All three have alluded to a lack of goodwill in the committee toward the resuscitation of the sport in the country after Kenya was last month banned indefinitely from competing internationally by the world governing body FINA due to failing to meet two deadlines for elections.

Serious intention

“The events and happenings of the past month have convinced me that there is no serious intention among some sitting members of the reconstituted IMC to defend or…bring the stalemate and the issues bedeviling the federation to an end,” part of Karani’s letter to Ohaga reads. “It appears that most of us are happy benefitting and thriving out of this confusion at the expense of the majority deserving swimmers and swimming in Kenya.”

Ohaga reconstituted the Committee in March to have FINA lift its suspension on the country and not go the route of a ban.

Breakaway

Earlier in the year, the elections impasse left swimming stakeholders from seven counties, namely Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Uasin Gishu, Kajiado, Kiambu, and Nakuru, wanting to form a breakaway federation.

FINA’s ban allows Kenyan athletes to still compete in international tournaments but only as neutrals.
“Their international representation would be as International FINA Athletes (IFA),” part of the letter sent to Ohaga in May banning Kenya read.

Kenyan swimmers Swaleh Talib and Lucia Ruchti are registered to compete at the upcoming FINA World Championships and will now only do so under the IFA flag.