Kenyan swimmers are set to make their return to international competitions following the lifting of a four-year ban by the global swimming federation, as confirmed by the country's Olympic committee. This decision comes after World Aquatics imposed the ban in 2019 due to the Kenya Swimming Federation (KSF) failing to meet election deadlines.
KSF also faced allegations of discrimination while selecting swimmers for national, regional and continental competitions.
Kenya’s Olympic committee said the ban had been lifted “with immediate effect”.
“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.”
Sports Minister Ababu Namwamba on Tuesday said the lifting of the ban was a “great day for Kenyan swimming” and expressed optimism that the team will compete at next year’s Paris Olympics.
The government “is committed to revitalising and growing swimming alongside all sports disciplines in the country,” Namwamba said on X, formerly Twitter.
The minister received backlash for not taking significant steps to improve the state of swimming. In August, they were summoned before a parliamentary oversight committee to address allegations of mismanagement.
Since 2016, Kenya's swimming has been mired in controversy, stemming from the arrest of the former head of the national board for embezzlement during the Rio Olympics.
Last year, World Aquatics took the initiative to set up a committee to oversee KSF's operations and mandated the organization to select a new leader before the ban could be rescinded.
