Suspended Athletics Kenya Central Rift chairman Abraham Mutai (centre) and other AK officials address the press in Eldoret on September 28, 2026.[Peter Ochieng, Standard]
In almost every athletics show and forum, Abraham Mutai’s head bobs above the huge crowds.
He often literally stands tall, aptly agile in his organisation of distance-running competitions across the Athletics Kenya (AK) Central Rift region, comprising Nandi and Uasin Gishu counties.
On September 25, 2026, Mutai was suspended as the AK Central Rift regional chairman in an announcement delivered by his secretary, Kennedy Tanui, during a media briefing in Eldoret.
The suspension, however, triggered incessant calls for reforms at the federation, with stakeholders questioning clauses in a reviewed constitution that has since been transmitted to the Registrar of Sports for registration.
Standard Sports sat down with Mutai on Saturday - a week after the controversial pronouncement.
Have you been subjected to the disciplinary process following your suspension?
First, I’m still the chairman of Central Rift because I’m yet to receive a formal suspension letter. I’m fully discharging my duties, and I wish to state that any purported suspension is merely a sideshow and should be disregarded.
You are also the head of marketing at AK. How did the announcement affect your role in that national position?
It has not affected anything. Unfortunately that some individuals are dictating how things are run at AK without involving top decision-makers.
Why are you openly joining those calling for urgent reforms at AK?
I’m doing it because it is for the benefit of the sport. With a progressive constitution, we can achieve better governance and reforms at AK. Some people think that it’s about positions; it is not. I’m a regional chairman, and I’m calling for the abolition of the regions because they are not recognised by the Kenyan Constitution.
AK was founded in the early 1950s and is the oldest sports federation in Kenya, but we want to stick to old practices instead of delivering a constitution that is in sync with current realities and addresses modern challenges.
I want to urge AK president Jack Tuwei to stamp his authority and deal with people who do many things behind his back. He is the highest-ranking member, given that he is the vice president of World Athletics, and he shouldn’t sit on the fence. His guidance is needed during this period.
What are some of the reforms that can come out of a new constitution?
When regions are abolished and a two-tier governance system is adopted, we stand a chance of working directly with counties in delivering athletics competitions. When we strengthen counties, the national office is left with making policies.
A progressive constitution will recognise coaches and train them to better standards. With good laws, we will no longer have big delegations of joyriders accompanying Team Kenya to international championships. It will guarantee more resources at the grassroots.
How did you find yourself in influential positions in athletics?
My entry into the sport was through the business aspect. I saw commercial opportunities in sport in the early 2000s, and I came in to help bring money into sports, with a target of promoting competitions, talent identification and creating opportunities for athletics to earn prize money in local races.
Through the commercialisation of the sport, I played a crucial role in the organisation of races such as the Ndalat Gaa Cross Country. The race had the pioneer Kids Cross Country and produced talents such as 1,500m world record holder Faith Kipyegon, among many others.
Getting into the sport through the commercial facet can be interpreted differently. Someone can argue that you are in the sport for selfish gains. What is your comment?
My role has been athlete-centred. So far, we have the Central Rift Community Cross Country Series, with 13 meets, where we field Under-16 athletes for talent identification and development.
I also helped set up community training camps, including Kabirirsang and Ndaptabwa, which are operating without support from the national office.
How have you been working with corporate sponsors in your capacity as head of marketing?
The corporate world has recently embraced sports, but we have been lacking top-class sporting activities to attract them.
Kenya has many foundations that are ready to sponsor local races, but we lack the structure to engage them. I’m sorry to say that we still have the attitude of rewarding officials more than athletes. We are chasing away sponsors who genuinely want our athletes to earn good prize money because of selfish reasons.
How much is Kenyan athletics losing by not being keen on better sponsorship structures?
We are losing billions of shillings, and we might lose even more if we don’t stop using races to enrich officials and offer athletes peanuts.