A veteran athlete, Michael Cherono has appealed to Baringo leadership to appoint seasoned experts to manage sports docket in the county.
According to Cherono this would be the only way to revive sports in the county which is currently on its deathbed.
Speaking to KNA on Monday, the 65 year old sportsman who started his athletic career in 1972 and represented the country in world championships in the United Kingdom, noted that the situation needs to be salvaged before it goes out of hand.
Cherono who hails from Kaptere location in Baringo North Sub County blames the current state of affairs on the management of the sector in the county by unskilled individuals.
“We have very few experts if any, leading the various sports departments in the county and it is very difficult for them to understand the game and nature upcoming sportsmen and women,” he said.
The athlete claims that the mismanagement has also led to skewed distribution of resources on sports like athletics camps to Koibatek leaving out the other five counties that also deserve the resources.
“It is surprising that the Koibatek Sub-county possess around four to five athletics camps yet there is none in Baringo North, South and Central as well as Tiaty Sub County,” lamented Cherono who is a former 110m hurdles champion.
The athlete argued that those currently running the sports affairs in the county have adopted a closed door policy and they are not open to dialogue and views from key stakeholders on how to improve the sector.
He said the office bearers are not supporting even those individuals who are going out of their way to improve sports, citing the frustrations he has undergone while trying to register an athletics camp he founded in 1990 to assisting youths from the region discover their talents.
“I have tried to even apply for National government Affirmative Action funds and when I was told to renew the previous certificate for my camp, every office in the county keeps taking me in circles without any explanation,” he said.
The County Executive Committee (CEC) member for Sports, Thomas Nongonop has however, defended himself from the allegations saying that nobody has been prevented from positive engagements to improve standards of sports in the county.
He said his department was ready to work with all the stakeholders including veteran sports men and women without any bias.
By Benson Kelio/Christopher Kiprop
