NOCK meeting disrupted as members of Professional Athletes Association insist on office clean up

NOCK MEETING Federations officials and Athletes during a meeting at NOCK offices to exert more pressure on President of NOCK Kipchoge Keino to step aside over corruption allegations. Nov 24, 2016. [PHOTO: JONAH ONYANGO/STANDARD]

Drama unfolded at the National Olympic of Kenya (NOCK) headquarters leading to the calling off of a stakeholders meeting that was scheduled to be held yesterday.

There was tension even before the meeting that was also attended by Association of National Olympics Committee for Africa President, Lassana Palenfo kicked off.

An attempt by NOCK officials to bar a group of about 10 athletes from entering the boardroom seemed to make matters worse.

NOCK Secretary General F.K Paul, however, allowed the athletes in.

But the officials were shocked by the huge turn out and had to call for another closed door meeting to agree on what action to take.

Deputy Secretary General of NOCK James Chacha then attempted to address those gathered in the boardroom, but was told off as those in attendance threatened to storm the closed door meeting.

Then sensing danger, NOCK chairman Kipchoge Keino addressed the gathering and assured those in attendance that their grievances will be attended to.

The drama continued when placard carrying members of the Professional Athletes Association of Kenya (Paak) insisted on being part of the meeting even though they had not been invited.

They made their grievances known with placards reading ‘KIPCHOGE GO HOME NOC-K IS ROTTEN’ among others.

Addressing the gathering, Palenfo, said he was was in Nairobi to check the progress of reforms carried out by NOCK and the Sports Ministry in accordance to an earlier agreement made during the meeting held in Lausanne, Switzerland in September.

Palenfo made it clear he would not meet anybody else apart from NOCK executives and its affiliates.