Kenya heightens risk of IOC ban as Nock case stalls

Kenya now risks an International Olympic Committee (IOC) ban following a botched consent to have parties settle their issues out of court and indulge in a win-win situation as directed by the Olympic movement.

Shock descended at the High Court as the Ministry of Sports and Registrar of Sports disowned a draft consent by all parties when it was presented to the judge for adoption in court.

The two were parties enjoined in the suit filed by the Kenya Taekwondo Association challenging the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (Nock) Executive Committee that were due in May but were aborted as KTA sought and obtained a court order barring the process.

The turn of events was a stunning setback to the national body and indeed that of the country and elicited a similar reaction in court on Wednesday morning.

It triggered anger and a pull and push argument in court between the parties, also sending a judge to express his disappointment with the ministry advocates.

“I am very disappointed because I could be doing other things, I scheduled this matter this morning knowing that you were to record a consent.In the last proceedings you had agreed to have this matter settled once and for all,” said justice Chacha Mwita.

The KTA which is the applicant in the matter had moved to withdraw the matter against Nock was to have smooth running of parties programs.

Taekwondo through its advocate Kimutai Bosek and Nock through Edward Rombo, addressing the media after court session, expressed the fears that country now risks being banned or suspended by IOC for not complying with the directions to have expeditious settlement of the matter.

“The Ministry and Registrar of Sports is frustrating the goodwill; if we are barred from the Olympics, World championship and Commonwealth Games next year, the people to be blamed are ministry of sports, in particular the registrar,” Bosek lamented.

On the other hand NOCK advocate Mr. Edward Rombo expressed disappointed as he came to have the case withdrawn.

“We had been given a deadline by IOC to have this matter settled and we did our best to have the petitioner withdraw its case,and we had agreed on the terms which had been laid down upon us by IOC itself, we banned midnight oil to have this matter out of court,but at the end of it ministry just shows up to frustrate every thing,” Rombo reiterated.

The ministry advocates did not however come out clear to explain their basis of objection even after the court noted that they were not the main parties in the suit but just an interested party without clear intention.

The judge however discharged the court initial orders which had stopped the parties meetings.

In the botched consent, the parties were to have a meeting and hold elections within 21days. ln the matter KTA had petitioned the court to be included in the said elections.

The matter is now scheduled to be heard in October, 2017 even as the parties indicate to court to have their petitions amended.