Treat our athletes fairly – Daily Nation

Thursday’s sit-in by members of the Kenya Under-18 and Under-20 teams to protest delayed bonuses and allowances has lifted the lid on the endemic poor planning by sports administrators.

The athletes, who represented the country in Africa Under-18 and Under-20 Championships in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, refused to leave the team hotel in Nairobi on their return over unfulfilled promises on the payment of overseas allowances and bonuses.

Although Athletics Kenya officials and their Ministry of Sports counterparts later met the athletes and promised to pay their dues, it is a shame that people on national assignment must resort to protests to get their allowances paid.

It is an indication of how badly we continue to treat our sportsmen and women, who are the country’s major ambassadors.

The incident speaks volumes about poor planning on the part of the government, and lack of timely support to local federations.

Before the teams travelled to Abidjan, Athletics Kenya had paid local allowances, and the government promised to foot the youngsters’ overseas allowances. However, that did not happen.

The two teams are mostly made up of primary and secondary school students. Sadly, cases of unpaid bonuses and allowances are becoming too common.

Team Kenya athletes who competed in the World Cross Country Championships on March 30 in Denmark are yet to be paid allowances and bonuses.

It is particularly sad that this is happening when key international competitions are lined up this year.

They include the African Games scheduled for August 23 to September 3 in Morocco, and the World Championships in Qatar from September 28 to October 6. We must treat out athletes better.