CS Wario asks court to dismiss Nock disbandment case

Sports CS Hassan Wario has asked the court to dismiss a case in which he has been sued over his decision to disband the National Olympics Committee of Kenya (Nock).

Wario in his grounds of opposition argues that the court has no jurisdiction to hear and determine the case and adding that the notice of motion has not been availed before the court thus has no merit maintaining that the case is based on a misconception of the law.

In the case, Nock chairman Kipchoge Keino and Secretary General Francis Kinyili Paul argue that  that Wario’s decision was unlawful and in breach of fair administrative action.

They further said the move by the CS is in bad faith, unreasonable and which if not stopped by the court, will lead to a ban of the Kenya’s Olympic movement by the international Olympic committee (IOC).

They want the court to quash the decision disbanding Nock and closing its offices, and further faulted the CS of failing to give official information prior to his decision.

“The CS has embarked on an unreasonable campaign of harassment through unnecessary use of police and security mechanism with the intention of unlawfully crippling the affairs and administration of Nock,” they argue.

The petitioners also argue that Wario’s directive was based on unsubstantiated allegations.

The case will be mentioned on the 8th of December for purposes of taking a judgment date.

Wario disbanded Nock in August following intense public pressure resulting from its mismanagement of Team Kenya that excelled at the Rio 2016 Olympics with the CS at the time citing powers conferred upon him by the Sports Act Number 25 of 2013 to take action against the embattled body.

He then formed a probe committee to carry out an independent inquiry into the Rio 2016 fiasco and whose findings were earlier in the week released to the public.

It was a move that marked the onset of the bitter tussle between Nock and the Sports ministry that has since attracted the external mediation of the IOC.

According to Wario, the committee members failed to execute their mandate in line with the Sports Act and grossly violated the privileges accorded to them.