Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario yesterday refused to accede to the International Olympic Committee demands that Nock should not be disbanded. The IOC said Nock president Kipchoge Keino should champion key reforms.
Wario told a parliamentary committee the just-concluded Laussane talks between the IOC and the National Olympics Committee of Kenya were a win-win situation.
The National Assembly Labour Committee, chaired by Matungu MP David Were, asked about resolutions made during the talks in Switzerland. Wario appeared with Sports PS Richard Ekai and senior ministry officials.
“This committee and Kenyans are anxious to know what transpired in the meeting with IOC and whether Kenya will participate in the next Olympics,” Aldai MP Cornelly Serem said.
Wario read a communique from IOC, which said due process, particularly “strict” adherence to the Nock constitution and the Olympic Charter in all steps to reform Nock, must be followed.
IOC pledged to supervise the process of reforming Nock to ensure the team and the Sports ministry work together and in “good faith” for Nock to hold free and fair elections before end of the year.
Nock is required to review and update its constitution and submit a copy of the amended version to IOC for approval before conducting elections. This is in line with the Olympic Charter .
“The outcome of the meeting was a win-win for all sectors. What we were looking for was a roadmap to Nock’s clean-up in terms of its constitution. It is a win-win again for Kenya because we are not to be punished with a ban in coming Olympics,” Wario said.