Sports CS tells aces not to talk to foreign media to avoid bad publicity
Sports Cabinet secretary Dr. Hassan Wario has cut communication between the athletes and foreign media in a bid to curb malicious leaks targeting Kenya.
Wario said there is need for centralised communication system if they are to cut down on malicious push for doping allegations currently being perpetuated against the nation by foreign press.
“ We have decided that communication will be handled by three people-myself, the Permanent Secretary Richard Ekai and the chef de mission Stephen Arap Soi.
“No athlete will be allowed to give information without the authority of the officials,” he said.
Meanwhile, athletics team-manager finally left camp yesterday and headed straight home after allegations that he was willing to accept up to Ksh.1.3 million to give athletes prior-warning of doping tests.
Rotich was expelled from the games village on Saturday after the Sunday Times and German broadcaster ARD secretly recorded him negotiating the offer with the under cover journalists.
Rotich Is on record as saying that his agenda was to cooperate with the ‘coaches’ so as to expose doping cartels and
hence Insisted that no money changed hands.
Wario had ordered that Rotich be thrown out immediately and be put on a plane home with immediate effect. He said while he doesn’t support doping, the timing for the reports is suspect.
“These are schemes to undermine our athletes. The timing of the allegations just a few days before the athletics programme rolls off next
week leaves a lot to be desired. People who have always wanted to see Kenya being banned, are at it again with a different scheme,” he said.
“We believe there are people out there who don’t want us to compete in this Olympics.They are trying different things,” Wario said at the Games village in Rio.
The minister alleged there was a wider scheme to prove Kenya has a culture of doping.