How corruption, nepotism led to mistreatment of medal hopefuls

By Joe Kiarie

We can now reveal how a combination infighting, corruption and nepotism among officials led to the dropping of two of Kenya’s gold medal hopefuls from the national team and fuelled their heartless mistreatment in Maputo, Mozambique.

The Standard On Saturday has learnt that the saga was sparked by handpicking of players to the tae kwon do team, with the head coach George Muriu naming his 14-year-old daughter and brother, who are believed not to have made the cut, in the team that eventually represented the country in the All Africa Games.

Yet, when some athletes and coaches protested about the biased selection and contributed their own allowances to cater for air tickets of dropped stars Sarah Njoki and Patroba Ojwang’, some officials pocketed much of the money. Some players were even forced to pay for the training facility they were using, which we have now learnt is run by one of the officials.

Patroba Ojwang’ (centre with children) and some of his teammates in Maputo, Mozambique, during the 10th All Africa Games in September.[PHOTO: COURTESY]

Instant dismissal

The saga had its roots back in February, when the athletes were asked to report for daily training in Hurlingham, Nairobi, despite the championships being eight months away. And although most of them were unemployed with no one catering for their expenses, missing out on training attracted instant dismissal.

Some players were subsequently dropped on account of indiscipline, with tae kwon do insiders we spoke to admitting most of the replacements were not on merit. This even attracted the attention of Sports and Youth Assistant Minister Kabando Wa Kabando, who in mid July threatened to strike the tae kwon do team off Kenya’s contingent to Maputo if fresh trials were not held and second-rate players substituting talented ones. While fresh trials were done, nothing much changed in the team’s outlook.

Coach George Muriu’s daughter Mary Wanjiru, a Form One student, and his brother Geoffrey Nguru were retained in the fin weight and heavyweight categories alongside several other players who controversially joined the team at the behest of some officials.

"It was sad that despite the women’s fin weight category having four players, the other three women were advised to add weight and compete in the fly weight category, giving Wanjiru an automatic spot in the final squad. Any player who challenged the move risked instant ejection from the camp," Bobby Musingo, the team manager reveals in claims that are echoed by most of the athletes.

In Maputo, Wanjiru was eliminated without winning a single match.

Matters got worse when the Government said its budget would only cater for 14 tae-kwon-do players, and not the customary 16.

Ojwang’ and Njoki, who had comfortably won all their trials, were sacrificed and reduced to sparring partners in training. And despite sticking with the team since February, the two were not paid a penny in local allowances while their colleagues pocketed Sh83,000 each.

Passes seized

In August, the team manager was handed the final squad list that excluded the two. He immediately forwarded the names to the African Tae-kwon-do Union (AFTU) for accreditation and later informed the two they would not travel to Maputo since they were not part of the budget approved by the All Africa Games steering committee.

But with intense infighting unfolding among KTA officials, it is reported that association chairman Major Suleimani Sumba, for unknown reasons, declared the duo would travel to Maputo and compete. Using his influence as the AFTU vice-chairman, Sumba forwarded the players’ names and they were accredited and listed in the draw.

By the time the athletes arrived in Maputo, the organising body had written to AFTU to cancel their accreditation, saying they had been registered to participate in the games against the rules and were thus in Maputo illegally.

"It was very clear that the chairman was fighting me and facilitated the players’ trip and participation against the rules to basically assert his authority," says Musingo.

This boiled down to an ugly show of might among officials. Kenya chef de mission Charles Nyaberi directed the two players to return home as they were not part of the official delegation. But Sumba, using his AFTU influence, insisted the players would stay and compete.

And they did, albeit amid ugly scenes that saw their passes seized and then returned, not to mention humiliating summons and public dressing down.

"They came on their own and should find their way back," Nyaberi was quoted as saying.

After competing, and Njoki winning a bronze medal, the two players were left on their own to make their way back to Nairobi.

When it came to the presidential cash awards, Njoki, still clinging onto her medal, was never included in the list of beneficiaries.

The officials explain this was occasioned by the need to avert setting a precedent where officials would ‘smuggle’ players not in the official team to the games venue and demand cash awards after winning.

It was also argued that by paying Njoki the Sh100,000, the organising committee would have in essence accepted liability for her participation in the event and forced to pay her $1,200 in foreign allowances and refund her air ticket fee.

Special consideration

"The presidential award was only for those sent out by the Government. We all sympathise with the two players, who are paying for the sins of some officials," notes Musingo. But Wesonga reveals they have written to the Ministry of Sports requesting that Njoki be given special consideration.

When contacted by The Standard On Saturday, coach Muriu denied claims against him. He particularly defended the move to include his daughter and brother in the national, saying they were there on merit.

He said Wanjiru and her uncle Nguru passed the trials competitively. But despite admitting that Njoki and Ojwang’ were among Kenya’s best athletes and at their peak, he was at pains to explain their exclusion.

Our efforts to contact Sumba to comment on the matter were unsuccessful.