Athletics Kenya (AK) has raised concerns that some individuals are operating as coaches without the necessary qualification documents.
During a recent registration exercise at Nyahururu Stadium in Laikipia County, it was revealed that the lack of standardized certification for coaches and technical staff is a pressing issue. By the weekend, the number of registered runners and coaches had reached 5,000.
This information came to light when AK president Jack Tuwei and Chief Administrative Officer Susan Kamau made an unannounced visit to the registration event for athletes from Nyandarua and Laikipia counties, including members of the disciplined forces stationed in the area.
“It emerged that 90 percent of coaches in Kimilili (Bungoma) have no certificates to demonstrate they are trained as coaches,” the officials reported. In contrast, around 80 percent of coaches in Nyahururu possessed some form of certification. The one-and-a-half-day exercise registered a total of 390 athletes and coaches, bringing the nationwide tally to 5,170, which includes doctors, masseurs, physiotherapists, and chaperons.
It was also discovered that many individuals had various “coaching and technical certificates,” complicating the validation process. The certificates were mostly acquired from short courses at local universities, training organized by AK regional bodies, and county government sports departments. One coach even presented a certificate obtained from China.
Following these findings, the team stressed the need for AK to validate these documents. They recommended the standardization of qualification certificates and encouraged coaches to take the World Athletics Level One course, which is available online for free. Tuwei and the registration team were surprised to learn that one 40-year-old athlete had a travel passport but lacked a national identification card.
Additionally, some junior athletes who had acquired passports using their parents’ documents had failed to apply for new passports after turning 18, leading to discrepancies between their passport and ID details. Athletes without IDs or with conflicting details will have their registrations treated as incomplete and pending until proper documentation is provided. “Let the athletes and coaches know that from January 2025, anyone over 18 years old will not receive service from AK without an ID,” Tuwei stated.
The team found it amusing that one applicant, a veterinarian who is not a competing athlete, sought registration. “How do you benefit from this registration?” Tuwei asked. The veterinarian, Gitonga, replied, “It is running that helped me recover from a bout of depression. I might run competitively one day.”
