
Kenya Athletics Presidents since 1951
Athletics had already begun to flourish in Kenya prior to its independence, and this article siasadaily examines the presidents of Athletics Kenya since 1951.
Track and field in Kenya was overseen by the Kenya Amateur Athletics Association from 1951 to 2002. In 2002, the group changed its name to Athletics Kenya (AK), and it is currently the body that oversees track and field.
In 1951, Archie Evans established the Kenya Amateur Athletics Association (KAAA), which is seen as the forerunner of organized sports.
Any nation wishing to send athletes to international contests, especially the British Empire and Commonwealth Games, was required to form the association.
Kenya was first represented in championships and at the 5th British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in 1954, following the founding of KAAA.
The presidents of Athletics Kenya since the group’s founding in 1951 are listed below.
1. Sir Derek Quicke Erskine – 1951 to 1964
British colonist Sir Derek Quicke Erskine co-founded the Kenya Amateur Athletics Association, now known as Athletics Kenya, and contributed to the sport’s rise in popularity in Kenya.
He presided over Kenya’s athletics governing body as its first president.
A merchant who knew Lord Delamere extended an invitation to Erskine to come to Kenya, where he soon started a prosperous grocery store.
In 1951, he and Archie Evans co-founded the Kenya Amateur Athletics Association (KAAA), which is currently known as Athletics Kenya.
Among his many notable donations to the association was the donation of the property that currently houses the Nyayo National Stadium.
From the association’s founding until a year after independence, he served as its chair. Erskine, regrettably, died on September 6, 1977.
2. Musembi Mbathi – 1964 to 1968
In 1964, Musembi Mbathi took over from the late Erskine, becoming the first Kenyan to occupy the esteemed role. After his term expired in 1968, Bartonjo Rotich assumed leadership.
Mbathi, who passed away, was a part of Kenya’s first international squad.
A nine-person squad left earlier in 1954 to compete in the British Empire Games, also known as the Commonwealth Games, in Vancouver, Canada.
The members of the team were Paul Kipkorir Boit, the team captain, Jonathan Lenemeria, Lazaro Chepkwony, Mbathi, Kiprono Maritim, Nyandika Maiyoro, Maboria Tesot, and Korigo Barno.
The renowned Archie Evans, the “Colony Sports Officer” since 1947, served as its leader.
While none of the Kenyan athletes took home a medal, many of them did set local and national records.
3. Bartonjo Rotich – 1968 to 1972
Before taking on the role of KAAA president, Rotich was an athlete. His specialty was the 400-meter and 400-meter hurdles.
Rotich participated in the Summer Olympics in 1956, however, he was eliminated in the 400-meter and 4×400-meter relay heats.
In the 440-yard hurdles competition at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, he came in third.
He thereby became the first athlete from Kenya to take home a medal from an intercontinental competition.
He participated in the Summer Olympics in 1960, making it to the semi-finals in the 400-meter hurdles and the 400-meter quarterfinals.
Next, he was chosen to serve as the KAAA’s chairman from 1968 to 1972. On October 7, 2019, Rotich passed away.
4. Charles Mukora – 1972 to 1974
One of Athletics Kenya’s presidents, the late Charles Mukora, was born on October 18, 1934, and made a tremendous impact on the sport.
Mukora started out competing in the long and triple jumps before switching to the decathlon, which he was urged to do by his British coach, John Cowley.
In addition, Mukora played a significant role in Olympic trailblazer Kipchoge Keino’s achievements in the 1960s and 1970s before stepping into the spotlight of sports management himself in the late 1970s.
His ascent to fame in Kenyan sports started in 1968 when he succeeded Britishman John Velzian, who had guided Kenya to its first-ever African Championships in Congo Brazzaville in 1965, as national athletics coach.
Mukora was chosen to join the World Athletic Council in 1976.
This occurred following his appointment to the position of head of the Kenya National Sports Council and the Kenya Amateur Athletics Association (1972–1974).
Mukora passed away on December 27 after a protracted illness.
5. Sam Ongeri – 1974 to 1984
Born on February 23, 1938, Sam Ongeri is a former senator from Kisii County.
Athletics Kenya chose Ongeri as its chairman in 1974, a position he held for ten years.
Ongeri has never played sports before. From 1943 to 1951, he attended Gesusu Primary and Intermediate School. From 1952 to 1957, he attended Bugema Missionary College.
After that, from 1959 to 1961, he participated in a pre-medical course at the University of Delhi. From 1961 to 1966, he pursued a bachelor’s degree in medicine and surgery at the University of Bombay.
After that, Ongeri attended the University of London to study child health from 1971 to 1972. From 1970 to 1972, he took the University of Edinburgh Pre-Board Examination.
Following his graduation from the Royal College of Physicians in 1971–1972, he entered the medical field.
He took a WHO Immunology Course at the University of Nairobi from 1973 to 1976.
6. Paul Kiplimo Boit – 1984 to 1992
During the Moi government, Paul Kiplimo Boit, a well-known KANU politician, was born in Kipkutu village, Nandi County, in 1906.
In 1984, Boit took over as president of the Kenya Amateur Athletics Association from Sam Ongeri. He held the position for eight years until Isaiah Kiplagat took over.
7. Isaiah Kiplagat – 1992 to 2015
With 24 years in office, Isaiah Kiplagat was the president of Athletics Kenya with the longest tenure.
Under the then-chairman Mukora, he joined the athletics association in 1975 and served as vice chairman.
In 1992, he succeeded Paul Boit and took over.
Kiplagat was crucial in maintaining the association’s stability and financial expansion during his term.
Through savings and sponsorships, AK was able to amass Ksh 5 million in excess funds during the first year of leadership, and the association started to take shape.
Along with implementing successful youth programs, he was helped by his team, which was led by Jackson Tuwei, the current president.
Through its youth programs, Athletics Kenya has been able to develop young athletes over the years, leading to improvements in both the junior and senior categories.
8. Jackson Tuwei – 2015 to Present
One of the most renowned athletes in the world, Jackson Tuwei, is the president of AK at the moment. He started as a military officer in Lanet.
From directing a Kenya Army squad that was a part of elite squads that suppressed a dissident group from the Kenya Air Force during an attempted coup in 1982 to winning elections in the African and international arenas, Tuwei is authoring one chapter after another in the history of athletic management.
In addition to serving as the AK’s president, Tuwei is also the vice president of World Athletics and the senior vice president of the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA).
Before being the best athlete in the world, Tuwei had a distinguished military career.
He engaged in multiple conflicts and declared victory in each one, even the elections.
Kenya Athletics Presidents since 1951