Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has censured Sports CS Ababu Namwamba for remaining silent after a Kenyan athlete was attacked by a dog in Argentina during a marathon event.
In a statement posted on his X account, the Senator accused CS Ababu of not being proactive in agitating for the welfare of athletes.
"Marathoner Robert Kimutai Ngeno was attacked by a dog in Argentina during a marathon event last Sunday where he secured third position," Cherargei said.
"Unfortunately, CS Ababu and Athletics Kenya have not found it wise to protest and call for investigations by Argentina authorities."
Cherargei further claimed that the athlete was robbed of his dignity and subjected to untold ridicule.
Ngeno was attacked by a stray dog at the 38th edition of the Buenos Aires Marathon in Argentina on September 24, 2023.
The 29-year-old marathoner passed through the halfway mark in 1:03.21 and went ahead to take the lead from the 25-kilometre mark to 38km when a stray dog appeared from nowhere and chased him, forcing him to lose concentration in the race.
The small crowd came to his rescue as they chased the dog that had caused him to drop from the leading group of two that included the Cornelius Kibet Kiplagat and the 2016 Rio Olympics 10,000 metres silver medalist, Paul Kipngetich Tanui.
The Nandi Senator has been a sharp critic of the Sports CS and the management of Athletics Kenya, last month he placed them on the spot over alleged ‘errors’ that cost the country medals in the World Athletics Champions in Budapest, Hungary.
Cherargei claimed that the Ministry, Athletics Kenya and the National Olympics Committee of Kenya are to blame for the 'blunders' in Budapest.
“Though we managed to come top in Africa and fifth in the world it is in the heart of Kenyans that this year’s World Championship was poorly performed compared to the performance of previous,” Cherargei said.
According to Cherargei, the country witnessed ‘obvious errors’ that contributed to the dismal performance, especially in some track fields.
He cited the country's loss, for the first time since 1968, in the 3,000 metres steeplechase.
