Wario summoned by house committee to explain Rio 2016 mess

The Parliamentary Department Committee of Labour and Social Welfare summoned Sports Cabinet Secretary Dr. Hassan Wario to appear before them on Tuesday to explain his directive to disband the National Olympics Committee-Kenya (Nock) and the role of his ministry in the Rio 2016 fiasco.

While delivering a preliminary report at the floor of the house on Wednesday afternoon, committee chairman, David Aoko Were, who is also the Matuga MP, added other relevant stakeholders would later be called upon to shed light on the scandal that rocked Team Kenya in Brazil.

“We need to summon the Cabinet Secretary to shed more light on the role of the Ministry in preparations and management of the team that went to Rio, the allegations of Team Kenya management by Nock, the legitimacy of disbanding nock and transferring its roles to Sports Kenya, the repercussions of the disbandment and on the court cases instituted against the officials.

“Thereafter, we shall invite all other stakeholders,” Were said in his statement saying his team would prepare a final report on the fiasco that has poured cold water on the country’s best ever performance at the quadrennial global sporting showpiece.

In hailing the celebrated performance by Team Kenya that brought the country six gold, six silver and a bronze medal, Were who travelled with three other members of the Committee to Rio as observers noted the immense powers wielded by embattled Chef-de-Mission, Stephen arap Soi -who is facing charges- as the catalyst of the mess that has shamed a nation.

“To access the Olympics Village, you had to talk to only one man, and that was Mr.Soi. He is the only one who could get you accredited or even get you access to the Village and that is why we had that problem of coordination between the ministry, Nock, ourselves and I believe, everyone else complaining,” the Matuga MP charged.

He added their probe will focus on the mistreatment of athletes, accreditation scandal and distribution of kit from American sponsor, Nike with Were telling the house they held discussions with Ministry and Nock officials in Brazil following complaints raised by athletes over the issues.

“The Ministry officials reiterated that they had procured tickets for all participants at the right time and distances themselves from accreditation and uniform citing that Nock was responsible for the same.

“The Ministry indicated they had procured tickets for all the athletes and whoever was claiming they did not have the tickets, was not saying the truth, this is what the CS and his team claimed,” Were reported.

Another meeting with Nock officials ensued, chairman, Dr. Kipchoge Keino, Soi, deputy Chef-de-Mission, James Chacha and Member, Paul Tergat among others, when the parliament delegation had the opportunity to visit the Olympics Village.

“The information they gave us regarding accreditation was due to the number of athletes who qualified for the Games, Kenya’s quota of officials and guests had been drastically reduced.

“But apparently, when the number was reduced, the number of officials was not reduced; hence majority of accreditations had to be cancelled and arrangements of transferrable accreditation had to be made,” the committee chair informed.

According to what they were told, the first group was supposed to be in the Village from August 1 to 7, the second from August 8 to 15 and the third group from August 15 to 22.

“That is the information while we got while in Rio that we did not have when we were leaving here. It is information we raised with the Ministry because the invitation we got was from them and we did not know that Nock was actually doing the accreditation,” Were underscored.

The chairman said that highlighted the problem of coordination in Rio saying that “Nock was closed inside the Village and the Ministry was operating outside the Village.”

On uniforms, Were said Nock officials blamed Nike for delayed delivery telling them only those of rugby that came in June.

“We are not saying this is the position because where we were, we could not ascertain whether this was right or wrong. They even indicated that some uniforms came late after the team had departed.

“We demanded to have access the contract signed by them so that we really know what conditions were there in the agreement but as we speak today (Wednesday) they have not made that available,” the Matuga MP asserted.

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Justin Muturi, encouraged the Committee to carry on with its business of preparing a full report even after the house is adjourned as Kenyans demand to get to the bottom of the scandal that has dominated headlines at the expense of the resounding performance.