Kenya Rowing and Canoeing Association will not be represented at the National Olympic Committee of Kenya’s extra ordinary meeting on Tuesday in Nairobi, according to Sports Disputes Tribunal chairman, John Ohaga.
“Richard Olakhi is hereby restrained from representing Kenya Rowing and Canoeing Association in Noc-k’s scheduled meeting,” ordered Ohaga.
Noc-k had invited Olakhi as a representative of KRCA in the meeting, whose main agenda is to ratify the new constitution.
The Tribunal had asked Kisini Mutisya, the lawyer appearing for Mohammed Bashora, to obtain and furnish the court with a letter from the Registrar of Sports indicating the legitimate office bearers of KRCA but the registrar was unavailable. This then forced the Tribunal to block both Olakhi and Bashora from the meeting as they couldn’t determine the recognised office bearers.
Mutisya accepted the directive given and told the court: “My clients preferred a complete KRCA no show at the meeting as opposed to wrong representation,”
On the other hand, Olakhi dismissed the directions by the tribunal, indicating that he is the duly recognised as president of KRCA.
“I am the president of KRCA and rightfully recognised by Noc-k and the world body and therefore that direction is not in order,” intimated Olakhi, who was not cognizant to the order given by the SDT by yesterday 3pm.
Olakhi leads one faction of KRCA, while Bashora heads the other, which is ‘discerned’ to be the proper governing body of rowing and canoeing in the country. The Bashora-led KRCA filed a petition under certificate of urgency at the Sports Disputes Tribunal to bar Olakhi from attending the meeting and instead prayed that the legit office bearers be allowed. Whereas all federations affiliated to Noc-k are required to be represented by two officials, Noc-k through it’s secretary general FK Paul invited Olakhi only from KRCA.