Light at the end of the tunnel: CS Ababu hopeful of solving Kenya Swimming Federation woes

Sports Cabinet Secretary Hon. Ababu Namwamba has revealed that he has directly been in talks with World Aquatics over solving issues facing the Kenya Swimming Federation.

The federation is under sanctions by World Aquatics, specifically for failure to hold elections for nearly a decade due to a push and pull by warring groups.

Speaking while being grilled at the National Assembly, Ababu revealed that World Aquatics has agreed to have government representatives in a joint committee that will help solve the impulse.

"This morning (Wednesday 23 August) I had a breakthrough with World Aquatics where they agreed that we set up a joint committee that will help solve the issues in the Kenya Swimming Federation. I have also made a request to them (World Aquatics) to allow us to participate in international events as we sort out the issues and I am confident we will do so." Ababu told the National Assembly.

World Aquatics announce additional sanctions on Kenya Swimming Federation

The sanctions by World Aquatics stem from Kenya's failure to comply with World Aquatics rules and decisions, particularly its repeated inability to hold national elections. Kenya has been under suspension for over three years due to its failure to conduct elections, despite the establishment of a World Aquatics Stabilization Committee in 2022 to oversee the election process. The sanctions involve Kenya's exclusion from all World Aquatics activities and events, maintaining the country's suspension.

The recent decision to impose further sanctions on Kenya Aquatics was prompted by the persistent issues within the federation and the Stabilization Committee's inability to organize elections as mandated. Despite attempts to hold virtual elections in July, the situation remained unresolved. The move follows a warning from World Aquatics in late June about potential additional sanctions if the issues were not addressed. The sanctions have raised concerns about the state of aquatic sports in Kenya, highlighting the federation's historical inability to comply with international rules and decisions. T