Fina appoints committee to run swimming in Kenya

World swimming governing body, Fina, has now taken over the running of the sport in the country.

Fina has since appointed a three-man stabilisation committee headed by South Africa’s Jace Naidoo to run activities in the country and help Kenya Swimming Federation (KSF) prepare for fresh elections.

Also in the committee are the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) Secretary General, Francis Mutuku and Moses Benon Mwase from Uganda.

While appointing the stabilisation committee, Fina Executive Director Brent Nowicki said that they have been forced to come with the move after KSF failed to hold elections, based on rules and regulations complying with Fina mandatory rules.

In a letter dated June 28, this year to KSF and Sports Disputes Tribunal chairman John Ohaga, Nowicki detailed that the stabilisation committee will run all day-to-day operations of the KSF for six months.

Nowicki noted that the Fina Bureau came up with the decision when it met to discuss the repeated failure of the KSF to comply with Fina decisions on June 17, 2022 in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Fina drew specific reference to KSF’s failure to properly respect the consequences of its current suspension.

Kenya was suspended by Fina in January last year owing to incessant wrangles and court cases.

Nowicki observed that despite the suspension, the KSF communicated with and attempted to take part in Aquatics activities of other Fina members.

Nowicki singled out a letter dated June 13, 2022 to the Danish Swimming Union and Luxembourg Swimming Federation where KSF requested for the registration of a delegation of Kenyan athletes to their respective national championships.

“It will get acquainted with the Kenyan Swimming Federation’s Constitution and, if deemed necessary, propose necessary amendments, and organise and conduct the election of the Kenya Swimming Federation’s board of directors,” said Nowicki.

Nowicki ordered full and complete access to all offices operated by the KSF.

“We hope access to all files, electronic or otherwise, will be provided to the Stabilization Committee immediately,” said Nowicki.

In the interest of Kenyan athletes, Nowicki noted that they trust this transition will be implemented with respect and without prejudice.

Nowicki noted that the Fina Bureau invoked section C 10.6 of it's Constitution, which allows the Bureau under exceptional circumstances to appoint a stabilisation committee.

This comes in when a member fails to adhere to practices of good governance, transparency, financial accountability and stability, participation in Fina events, or puts at risk the organisation and development of Aquatics in their country.

Since 2013, under the leadership of Ben Ekumbo, the KSF has been characterised by incessant wrangles, denying talented youth opportunities to advance their careers.

Not even a change in leadership at the federation in 2016 when Ekumbo resigned as KSF president over 2016 Olympics Team Kenya kits scandal, put an end to the wrangles.

The wrangles continued under the late Patrick Muyah’s leadership. Muyah passed on in April last year.

The federation’s elections had been postponed twice in two years, prompting Fina to suspend KSF in January, 2021 until a new office is in place.

But in March, last year, Fina approved KSF’s new constitution, paving the way for the federation to conduct the long-overdue elections.

The interim management committee headed by Sanjeev Khagram was put in place by the Sports Dispute Tribunal to prepare the road map for elections but it failed.