Several former top athletes are among the contestants eyeing various Athletics Kenya county posts in today’s polls.
Among the top contenders is current Athletics Kenya Nairobi branch chairman Barnabas Korir who is tipped to retain the seat unopposed, but on the new county government system.
Benjamin Limo, the country’s sole world 5,000m gold medalist (at the 2005 World Athletics championships in Helsinki, Finland) will be seeking to bag the Uasin Gishu county chairmanship.
Two-time Boston marathon champion Moses Tanui is in contention for the treasurer’s post in Uasin Gishu.
Former 800m Olympic champion and Team Kenya captain at the 2008 Beijing Olympics Wilfred Bungei is gunning for the Nandi chairmanship. Another former 800m runner Edwin Koech will be seeking to be Bungei’s treasurer at the athletics rich Nandi county branch. The 3,000m world record holder Daniel Komen is vying for the Elgeyo-Marakwet chairmanship.
Two time world 800m champion Billy Konchellah will try his luck in the Narok chairmanship against the 1987 All Africa Games silver medalist Stephen ole Marai.
The 1992 Barcelona Olympics 3,000m steeplechase champion Mathew Birir is in the race for the chairman’s post in Baringo while former world and Commonwealth Games champion Douglas Wakiihuri is a prospect for co-option at the Nairobi county office. Korir said as former athletes they want to contribute to the development of the sport by taking up leadership positions.