Athletics Kenya urged to finalize audits and lead in election integrity by CS Murkomen

Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports Development, Kipchumba Murkomen, had called on Athletics Kenya (AK) to take a leadership role in sports by conducting  their long overdue elections in a transparent manner.

During the reveal of AK’s 2025 calendar, the Principal Secretary (PS) for Sports, Peter Tum, spoke on behalf of the CS. Murkomen commended the athletics federation for its long-standing commitment to nurturing world-class talent.

However, he emphasized the need for AK to exemplify good governance in its electoral processes. “While I congratulate you on your consistent launch of the calendar of events over the years and for your good work in developing our athletes, I must now challenge you to lead and show the way in elections,” he stated.

In addition to praising AK for its annual event calendars, the CS highlighted the necessity of finalizing the federation's auditing reports. He pointed out the importance of the audits for the recent World Under-20 Championships in Peru and the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, stating that these reports are essential for effective planning of future events.

“For any organization's continuous improvement, auditing performance is key. Reports for the U20 World Championships and the Paris Olympics are therefore critical in helping us prepare better for future tournaments,” he asserted.

CS Murkomen expressed concern that Kenya is currently “punching far below [its] weight” regarding athlete representation at the Olympics, a sentiment echoed by PS Tum, who briefly deviated from his notes to agree with the observation. The representation of only six events in Paris was noted as an area needing significant improvement.

“We must expand our sports portfolio to increase our global competition and participation and solidify our reputation as a sporting powerhouse,” said Tum.

After addressing the leadership of AK, CS Murkomen turned his focus to coaches and athletes across the nation, encouraging them to “keep their eyes on the ball, be steadfast, and relentless in the journey for greatness.”