Cut the heated rhetoric as championship draws closer

The withdrawal of top teams from the IAAF World Under-18 Championships set for Nairobi does not auger well for the country ahead of the July event.

United States is the latest team to pull out of the global event citing fear of terrorism, joining nations like Britain, Switzerland and New Zealand who also opted out over security concerns.

While the actions of these championship participants may have been premature, it is conceivable that the coming elections in August may leave many other visitors feeling a little apprehensive about their safety in Kenya.

Kenyans may have become accustomed to the vitriolic campaigns that characterise our cyclical elections, but this does not mean our visitors will be at ease when the threat of violence is so omnipresent.

That is why candidates must be less cantankerous during their elections campaigns this year — political instability can easily lead to the cancellation of the IAAF World Under-18 Championships.

The country has worked very hard to prepare to host this year’s championship and at a considerable expense. It would be unfortunate to give the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) the excuse to take the event away from Kenya.

In 2007, the country successfully hosted the World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa. Nairobi can do the same and make this year’s World Under-18 Championships a resounding success.