The letter came after unverified reports began to circulate regarding the identities of the delegation of non-athletes accompanying the official Kenyan delegation to the prestigious event.
In response to growing pressure to release the names of the Kenyan delegation to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba issued four directives to the National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOCK) on Thursday, July 11.
In a letter addressed to Francis Mutuku, the Secretary General of the NOCK, CS Namwamba, in reference to the meeting of the Preparatory and Management Committee (PMC) for the Paris 2024 Olympics, instructed NOCK to expedite the finalisation of the Team Kenya delegation to the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The delegation is expected to be comprised of athletes, officials and medics, alongside details regarding the specific role of each member of the delegation.
The Olympics team at State House, Nairobi on July 9, 2024. /PCS
NOCK was further instructed to keep the delegation at the barest minimum as directed by the CS and affirmed by the PMC. The priority is athletes, their coaches and medics.
“Rationalisation of the provisional budget initially agreed between NOCK and the Principal Secretary/Accounting Officer for the State Department of Sports.
“The final budget to reflect the actual number of qualified athletes, revised scale of allowances and rewards for athletes (Revised 2023), and the austerity measures the Ministry is implementing across all expenditure centres,” the letter read in part.
Namwamba also tasked NOCK with preparing a detailed report on the process, status and cost of the ceremonial, training and competition kit for Team Kenya procured by the committee.
He added that both the Team Kenya Delegation and the final budget will be presented at the next meeting of the PMC.
“Do further note that in line with the Government’s transparency, and accountability policy, the full Team Kenya delegation should be made public by NOCK,” he further directed.
The letter came after unverified reports began to circulate regarding the identities of the delegation of non-athletes accompanying the official Kenyan delegation to the prestigious event.
Kenyans demanded the Sports CS to make public the list of non-athletes accompanying the Kenya team to the French capital, Paris, where the 2024 Olympic Games are set to be held between July 26 and August 11.
Already, 83 athletes qualified for the Paris Games as of June 30, 2024, in disciplines such as athletics, rugby sevens, judo, fencing, volleyball, and swimming.
Kenya is Africa’s most successful nation at the Olympics, with a total of 113 medals, despite a dismal outing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon during the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. /OLYMPIC GAMES