Kenyan swimmers will now be permitted to participate in international competitions, as the global swimming federation has lifted a four-year ban, as confirmed by the country’s Olympic committee.
In 2019, World Aquatics imposed a ban on the East African nation due to the failure of the Kenya Swimming Federation (KSF) to meet election deadlines.
The Kenya Swimming Federation (KSF) also encountered accusations of bias in the selection of swimmers for national, regional, and continental competitions.
The Kenyan Olympic committee declared that the ban has been lifted immediately.
“Kenyan swimmers can now fly our flag proudly,” secretary general Francis Mutuku said on Tuesday.
“While the ban has been lifted, the hard work starts to ensure compliance with all the requisite laws and regulation.”
On Tuesday, Sports Minister Ababu Namwamba hailed the lifting of the ban as a “great day for Kenyan swimming” and voiced confidence that the team will participate in the upcoming Paris Olympics next year.
Namwamba, on a platform formerly known as Twitter, stated that the government is dedicated to reinvigorating and fostering the growth of swimming, as well as all sports disciplines in the nation.
The minister came under scrutiny for his perceived lack of action in improving the situation of swimming, and in August, he was summoned before a parliamentary oversight committee to respond to accusations of mismanagement.
Kenya’s swimming has been embroiled in controversy since 2016, when the former leader of the national board was apprehended for embezzlement during the Rio Olympics.
World Aquatics formed a committee last year to oversee the operations of KSF and mandated the organization to select a new leader before the ban could be lifted.
