Athletics Kenya delegates gives Kiplagat Oct 31 deadline to act or quit

AK executive delegates Peter Angwenyi, Barnabas Korir, Jonathan Koskei and Paul Mutwii after a dressing a press conference at Nairobi Public Service Club yesterday. [PHOTO: DENNIS OKEYO]

Long-serving Athletics Kenya (AK) president, Isaiah Kiplagat, has been put on notice by branches which met in Nairobi yesterday and gave him up to October 31 to quit, or they will not attend meetings.

But speaking from Kapsabet where he presided over the Ndalat Gaa Cross Country championships yesterday, Kiplagat said he cannot respond now, adding he would do so after getting details of the meeting.

They said Kiplagat should call a Special General Meeting immediately to address the contentious issues and threatened not to attend the calendar meeting set for Tuesday.

Even members of the executive said they will not attend meetings called by Kiplagat unless he gives in to their demands.

The meeting  was attended by 14 out 16 branches. The two that did not attend were Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and Central branch whose chair, David Miano is the AK treasurer.

The affiliates met under the chairmanship of Southern Branch Paul Mutwii. They accused Kiplagat of high handedness in the management of AK affairs and funds, single-handedly appointing the 2017 IAAF Youth Championships bid committee without involving the AK executive committee and hiring of a CEO without due diligence.

The delegates also alleged the discrimination in the appointment of team officials to major championships. The meeting was chaired by Mutwii, who is also AK second vice-chair. Evans Bosire, the national PRO, also attended.

“All the branches at the meeting are in agreement on the resolutions," Mutwii said. "We expect the AK Chair to step aside before the date we have proposed.

“We also want the article 10.2(c) of the constitution to be invoked. It states that a 'Special General Meeting may be convened for any specific purpose by the executive committee.'

“If the executive committee fails to abide by the our resolution, we will start collecting signatures so as to pass a vote of no-confidence against the chair."

Some of the officials from the branches at the meeting were Barnabas Korir (Nairobi), Jonathan Koskei (Police), Dimmy Kisalu (Coast), Benjamin Limo (Central Rift), Billy Konchellah (Narok) and Nicholas Maswai (Prison).

Others were Peter Angwenyi (Nyanza South), Joseph Ochieng’ (Nyanza North), Jackson Lorupe (North Rift), Joseph Kinyua (Eastern), Francis Afundi (Western), Abdulahi Salat (North Eastern), Stephen ole Marai (South Rift) and Edward Mwema (Universities).