Kenya Olympic officials arrested

NAIROBI, Kenya – Three officials of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) have been arrested in connection with the alleged mismanagement of the country’s team at the Rio de Janeiro Games, police officials said Friday.

NOCK’s secretary general, Francis K. Paul, was detained at Nairobi’s Muthaiga Police Station, according to the police officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The same officials said Kenya’s chef de mission, Stephen Arap Soi, and his deputy James Chacha were arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Friday. The two were arriving from Brazil with members of the Olympic team, amid some claims from athletes about being left to live in difficult conditions after the Olympic Village closed.

The government disbanded NOCK on Thursday, with Kenya sports minister Hassan Wario saying problems faced by the team in Rio had damaged the morale of athletes.

Those problems included a new doping scandal, ineligible athletes, missing plane tickets, and bad blood between the athletics federation and the national Olympic committee. Athletes’ complaints also include missing sponsor kits.

Even so, Kenya had its best Olympic performance in Rio, winning six golds, six silvers, and a bronze medal.