Sports Cabinet secretary Ababu Namwamba will meet swimming stakeholders at Nyayo Stadium on Sunday to chart a way forward in regard to the mess the sport has sunk into.
In a notice written by the secretary of Kenya Aquatics Stabilisation Committee Moses Mwose, National Olympic Committee of Kenya president Paul Tergat will also be in attendance.
The agenda of the meeting will be to Update on Status of Kenya Aquatics and the Roadmap for the Implementation of the World Aquatics directive— which demands that the country must conduct the long-awaited elections by November.
The national elections were set for July 8 at Moi Stadium, Kasarani but failed to materialise after the Centre of Corporate Governance, who were to conduct the polls, pulled out citing intimidation and threats.
Two stakeholders, Conrad Thorpe and Margaret Muasya, had on March 19, 2021, taken the Kenya Swimming Federation (KSF), Sports Kenya, Registrar of Sports, and the Attorney General to court for violating the Constitution of Kenya 2010.
They wanted the Sports Act interpreted after the universal voting, which allows swimmers to vote, was disregarded while scheduling the polls.
Sources familiar with the goings on Kenya Aquatics revealed that Namwamba has met the two, Thorpe and Muasya, as they seek to unlock the stalemate — which includes having the duo drop the pending court case.
Namwamba also met the Stabilisation Committee to get the progress report now that the country is locked out of World Aquatics competitions.
The suspension saw Kenya fail to send a team to the World Junior Swimming Championships in Israel early this month.
Nairobi County Swimming Association secretary Kenneth Karani believes there is light at the end of the tunnel, especially with the involvement of the Ministry of Sports.
“I believe with Ababu being part and parcel of the process, we are headed in the right direction. I believe we need a political solution and I think the riot act has to be read to some people to get this process done once and for all,” said Karani.
However, he observed that with time running out fast, the stakeholders need to act with speed to meet the November 13 deadline set by World Aquatics.
“We need to work with speed. We only have two months the deadline but I believe the meeting on Sunday will set the agenda rolling and, finally, new leadership for the federation," added Karani.
Team Kenya risks not sending swimmers to next year's Olympic Games in Paris, France should the polls fall through.
