Probe this Gulf migration scandal

Okoth Omulo

Athletics Kenya chairman, Isaiah Kiplagat is famed for saying when a song is sung many times, it becomes monotonous.

This is exactly when this matter of minors being ferried to Bahrain and Qatar without following right channels must be put to rest. Kiplagat disclosed early last week another group of minors were taken to Bahrain by a known coach for trials. They routinely make the trials, and within that period, are made stateless. Only those who make the cut are given residency status, not citizenship.

I believe we owe it to Kenyans to make them succeed in their athletics endevours. The Government must create a conducive environment for the development of talent. This happens through schools competition system, which has churned many top athletes.

Scandal deeper

We have a working system, which is successful. However, if individuals choose to pursue other opportunities elsewhere, we can’t stand on their way. They are absolutely free to do so as long as they do it above board.

Minors are a sensitive lot. Their parents hold the right to decide for them what is best for their future, in school or in whatever field they choose to pursue.

But when it comes to smuggling them to Gulf States, there is much more to it than meets the eye. The scandal runs deeper than authorities are telling the public. More so, where managers and coaches clash, as seems to be the case at the moment, the public is often only given one side of the story, as told by the politically-right side.

I have it on authority that a renowned coach, Boniface Tiren, who has tapped and developed many a talented athlete from Marakwet has gone to Bahrain to pursue a coaching job.

It is not clear what happened to another Kenyan who was their coach, but information coming from there is that he has been shown the door.

This is not the first time a Kenyan is headed for the Gulf States for a coaching stint. John Mwithiga ‘Warm Up’ coached in Iran a few years ago and returned a disappointed man after his contractual obligations were not fulfilled.

Master tactician Mike Kosgei was contracted by Bahrain only to be kicked out after some athletes under his care ran in Israel. It also cost Leonard Mucheru his residency and he had to remain stateless for a few months.

The Korir brothers have rendered technical services to Bahrain athletics federation for the past few years until they settled in their club. Tiren wants to try his luck, too. No big deal. But where minors are involved, coaches must tread carefully.

immigration department

The big question is what role does AK and Immigration Department play in this whole process? Isn’t it interesting that young Kenyans are taken to the Gulf without official sanction by the federation and somebody in Government? This is why a Commission of Inquiry should be instituted to go to the bottom of this matter, which has been on for a bit too long. Complaints have been raised yet the scandal has been going on unabated.

Mucheru was kicked out unceremoniously for running in Israel. Gregory Konchellah has had enough of it and wants to be reinstated as a Kenyan. Bahrain won’t allow him just as yet.

If he misses this season’s action, this hugely talented athlete, who was among the Olympic Games favourites last year, could just go to waste. That will be a big loss to Kenyan athletes, coming after Olympic champion, Wilfred Bungei, announced his retirement from international competition.

When senior athletes defect, there is little authorities can do. They are often lured by better incentives and they are accorded better training facilities. More so, they are assured of national team slots for global championships, which cannot be assured in Kenya where such slots are as competitive as Brazilian and Nigerian national football team places.

However, they ought to know that when their running career is over, they could suffer worse humiliation than Mucheru and Konchellah.

But more important is to approach the issue of minors a bit more soberly and ensure their rights are protected and their talent does not go to waste because of some greedy and unpatriotic wolves among us.

—The writer is The Standard’s Sports Editor

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