Controversy over Mara race

By CHRIS MUSUMBA

Controversy over the Kenya Airways Masai Mara marathon deepened on Friday when directors of the Olchorro Oirowua Wild Life Trust, the event’s venue, pulled out.

The Trust chairman, Saiyalel Ole Kuluo, confirmed it was because of failure by the race organisers to honour the pledges agreed on last year, which has prompted them to opt out.

Some of the objectives of the marathons include provision of better sanitation, promote education and help the community access clean water.

“We have no problem with Kenya Airways who have come in as sponsors, but we held meetings with the organisers and agreed on a number of things they were to do for the community. That was never done.

“There are no boreholes sunk, nobody is in school benefiting from the proceeds of the marathon and our sanitation has not improved. We therefore don’t need to continue being exploited,” said Kuluo.

But race chairman, John Konchellah, in an effort to salvage his event, said those complaining were just out to taint his image and scare away the corporate sponsors.

“We have had several meetings with the members of the Trust and we agreed that some of these objectives will start being implemented. Their accusations don’t hold any water,” he said.

But his words will do little to save the event, which Kuluo group have vowed to disrupt should they go on and hold it on their ranch.

“We have not agreed for the event to take place on our land and therefore no such marathon will take place within our conservancy on November 20,” said Kuluo. Kenya Airways has pumped in Sh20 million in the event for the next three years.

Sh6 million earmarked

But even before the trust showed their disapproval, the organisers came under criticism from both the athletes and Athletics Kenya over the paltry prize money on offer.

Of the Sh6 million earmarked for this year’s event, the winning athletes will only claim about Sh500,000 while the remainder Sh5.5 million will foot for all ‘logistics’.

The trust members have also asked Fairmount Hotels, which runs Fairmount Mara Safari Club, to keep off the event.

“Fairmount are out strategic partners and are therefore advised to keep off. Athletes who come for the event must also realise that their security is not guaranteed,” added Kuluo.

Olchorro Oirowua Wild Life Trust is a private ranch involved in conservancy.