Kenyan Swimming Federation President Ben Ekumbo announced that he is stepping down, as reported by insidethegames‘ Nick Butler this weekend.
Ekumbo also holds positions on the FINA Bureau and also the country’s National Olympic Committee, but he has been the center of some controversy in recent months after he was arrested in November for allegedly stealing Nike clothing and equipment intended for the national swim team.
At the time of his arrest, authorities found Ekumbo hiding under his bed and confiscated much of the equipment from his apartment. Ekumbo spent three days in jail and was released.
In a letter posted to insidethegames, Ekumbo terms his departure from the Swimming Federation a “retirement” in bold, capital letters. The letter writes that a “Special General Meeting” at the end of the month will help determine a plan for succession.
The controversy about stolen gear is not referenced in Ekumbo’s letter.
This scandal is just another in a line of Kenyan sports controversies. Butler writes that the majority of National Olympic Committee officials were arrested after the Olympic Games in Rio. The group is expected to be re-formed under new leadership in the coming months.
Read more from insidethegames by clicking here.
KSF EXECUTIVE COMMITTE HAVE NO MANDATE, THEY SHOULD QUIT WITH BEN NOW
Something we need to be aware of.
The KSF executive committee is elected from members who have been nominated by their various branches. They essentially represent their branches at the KSF although as One National committee.
They therefore have no mandate of their own. Their mandate is drawn from the branches that nominated them.
What this therefore means is that Mr. Ekumbo’s proposal to form an Interim Committee comprising members of the KSF executive committee is FRAUDULENT! This is the same as them having a vote at the Annual General meeting. Whom do they represent? Whose interests are they serving?
The proposed Steering Committee Can Only consist of members from recognized branches!
Many years ago, we went through what we are going through now even after a court process. Mr. Ekumbo reneged on it. Our mistake was that we withdrew the court matter without signing a consent and without our final agreement being registered in court as a settlement out of court. This would have tied down Mr. Ekumbo down for good.
This is why I am alarmed, when we assume that Ben is doing what he proposed in good faith. He failed the test last time. He cannot do it again now.
Mr. Ekumbo is NOT doing us a favor. He is not Retiring – it was not a job – he is relinquishing his position after pressure from the membership.
He must go together with his entire committee. He must do it now.
For goodness sake I DO NOT understand WHY we are entertaining a disgraced official and still allowing him to hold us at ransom.
Friends, these, in my opinion, are important issues that we need to dwell on. These are the issues THEY do not want us to discuss, instead, in a record 2days they have got us fighting. Fighting over irrelevances with some of us ready to go at each other’s necks for such petty things.
I feel shamed and let down.
We owe it to Kenyan Swimming Children to get this thing straightened out once and for all.
The following is part of one of the attachments (to save those reading from handheld devices the trouble). This was in 2004.
THE WAY FORWARD for Swimming in Kenya via KSF
KSF can grant the same prayers to ALL SWIMMING STAKEHOLDERS by:
1. Declaring that their term in office has expired and write a letter to ALL KSF branches to this effect and copied y to FINA, NOCK, IOC, KNSC, the sports department, the registrar of societies and the minister.
2. Call a meeting of ALL chairmen & Secretaries of the KSF Branches to appoint an interim committee to take care of the affairs of swimming for a very short while – maximum 45 days. Letters to this effect be sent to FINA & the Registrar of societies with signatures from the former KSF officials.
Appointment of an Interim committee comprising:
2 representatives from Each Provincial Branch (NASA, RASA, CASA, NYASA & CEPASA).
1. All to have a vote.
2. A Chairman, Secretary & Treasurer to be appointed from among them by themselves.
3. All MUST NOT have served as members of the KSF Executive in the last 6 years.
4. ALL MUST NOT be eligible for the elections to be called.
TERMS OF REFERENCE of the Interim Committee
Thereafter the new KSF INTERIM COMMITTEE would:
1. Bring about the adoption of the KSF Constitution negotiated by all the branches before November 27th 2004. This SGM to be called within 14 days
2. Draw up the accounts of the Kenya Swimming Federation.
3. Supervise elections under the new constitution. To be called within 21 days of the adoption of the new constitution.
The whole process should not take more than 45 days.
During this 45 days ALL activities of the OLD KSF Executive to carried on without fail if found to be sound & to the benefit of Swimming.
I feel the pain for Kenyan Swimming. It is personal because I suffered from its mismanagement.
You cannot believe that the ASAK in 1985/86 through its chairman, the late, denied me a scholarship to study in Australia. I was a TOP swimmer. At that time, the media declared me the first Kenyan to swim the 100m Freestyle under the minute. By the way, Mr. Ekumbo was in that executive committee.
WHY? Politics! Same old mess going on to date!
This therefore is NOT about my children it is about ALL Kenyan children who take up the sport of Swimming.
As we speak, what we call Kenyan Swimming is for the rich. ONLY for those who can pay. THERE is NO OTHER Kenyan National sport where the sportsmen and women pay for themselves to travel to international events or whatever events.
Friends, Swimming has failed and failed badly.
Let us change Swimming for Swimming not just for our children. 32 years ago, it “messed” my life. Surely, how much longer can we allow it to mess other children’s lives.
I still went on to become the first “NASA” chairman at just about 27yrs of age. The first Nairobi branch before then was called “Amateur Swimming Association of Kenya Nairobi Provincial Branch”!
When you look at the current NASA logo, blame it on me.
So my friends, we have BIGGER issues to deal with.
Let us handle them with care.
We must be called to account at our level before we can call the National government to account. This is our area of comparative advantage, we must give it our best.
Well said. I agree with you. Time for change is now. Let the old rot exit.