Iten: The Gender Protection and Implementation Advisory Committee has intensified efforts to create awareness among athletes in Iten, about the need for a safe sporting environment.
According to Kenya News Agency, the committee chairperson and former long-distance runner, Catherine Ndereba, emphasized the importance of educating athletes about their rights and the committee’s role in ensuring their protection. ‘We are here because we want to make ourselves known to the athletes and let them know that we exist,’ Ndereba said.
‘We want to ensure that they are exploiting their talents in a very protected environment. That’s why we are here in Iten, and it has taken us several days. Yesterday, we were at Kaptagat, sharing the same message so that every sportsperson knows they are training in an environment where they feel safe and can express themselves openly,’ she said.
Ndereba pointed out that the initiative comes in the wake of past tragedies, such as the loss of female athlete Agnes Tirop, who was a victim of gender-based violence (GBV). The Ministry of Sports appointed the advisory committee to help address GBV cases and ensure they are properly handled, especially in situations requiring legal advocacy.
‘We have also realized that one of the main issues affecting athletes is property ownership, which often leads to violence in their relationships,’ she added, clarifying that gender protection does not only focus on female athletes; it covers both male and female athletes.
The Gender Protection Implementation Secretariat CEO, advocate Diana Watilla, highlighted the committee’s mandate since its gazettement in November 2024. ‘Our role is to create a safe environment, where athletes can thrive,’ she said.
Watilla noted numerous cases of gender-based violence, and the committee aims to provide legal support, psychosocial assistance, sensitization, and awareness. The goal is to empower both genders to hold representation in federations’ leadership structures. She further noted that 80% of sports federation members were male, and women only hold about 24% of leadership positions, leading to a lack of a female voice in decisions on protection against GBV.
‘We are in Iten to induct our board members, understand the existing gaps, and develop strategies. We are also holding webinars and preparing recommendations and memorandums to address these issues,’ she said.
The CEO emphasized that the committee serves as an avenue for GBV victims to report their complaints and receive referrals to appropriate agencies. She advised athletes to ensure that properties they acquire are legally registered under their names.
‘We are dealing with cases where athletes cannot access their properties, and in some situations, when they pass away, their next of kin cannot trace their assets,’ she said. ‘We have seen many cases of fraud, intimate partner violence, psychological issues, and financial and sexual exploitation of athletes. Some even get denied opportunities in national teams for failing to comply with exploitative demands,’ said Watilla.
The CEO stressed the need for policies and laws that hold coaches and officials accountable for misconduct. ‘The missing link is leadership and transparency,’ she noted, adding that federations are membership-based, and if women cannot access sports facilities or receive adequate financial support for training, the status quo remains, allowing those in power to continue exploiting athletes.
Coach Byron Kipchumba echoed the need for better governance, calling for the full implementation of the Sports Act 2013. ‘This Act has mechanisms that can address some of the current challenges,’ he said, adding, ‘Different federations interpret and apply the Act differently, but some of these problems can be solved within the existing legal framework.’
He emphasized the need for a vetting board to assess coaching qualifications and reduce the prevalence of unqualified individuals in athletics. ‘As coaches, we often face mistrust from federations when we voice our concerns, and power dynamics come into play,’ he explained. ‘A board to vet coaching qualifications would help eliminate quacks in the profession and improve the standards of athletics coaching in Kenya,’ said the coach.
The committee’s visit to Iten is part of a broader effort to implement reforms in the sports sector, ensuring that athletes train in a safe and fair environment free from violence and exploitation.