Protests as millionaire athletes 'race' poor girls out of school

By EDWIN CHESEREK
They literally hit the road at dawn, jogging across lush green fields as they prepare for their international dollar–minting competitions that have drastically changed their lives.
But as dusk envelopes the picturesque Iten town, the athletes jump into their sleek cars and drive around to sample the night life.
But some of these world-celebrated sportsmen are now on the spot for allegedly using their influence and money to lure innocent schoolgirls into sex.
So rampant has been the practice that local residents and Government officials in the Elgeyo/Marakwet County are now raising concern over the increasing number of young girls dropping out of school due to pregnancy.

Leg power? A group of athletes participate in a past race. They have been accused of flaunting their hard-earned money to lure school girls into unsafe sex. PHOTO: PETER OCHIENG’ /STANDARD

Residents say the mushrooming of unregulated training camps in the county has started manifesting its negative effects in the area.
They say that setting up of training centres could have given locals an opportunity to meet and share experiences with renowned champions, but some athletes are spoiling the relationship with the area residents.
They say that there have been increasing incidents of immoral behaviour that the community feels is a threat to their children.
Investigations by The Standard revealed that girls as young as 11 years old have been forced to drop out of school after being impregnated by some of the runners.
One of the girls aged 16 has a sad tale of how she was lured by an athlete who impregnated and abandoned her. The baby is now two years old.
She vividly recalls the year 2007 when she met with the handsome runner whom she knows by name.
"He was new in town and when I met him he asked me to assist him find a rental house in Iten town. I offered to help since I did not expect any bad motive," she recalls.
MANY ROMISES
The girl, then a Standard Seven pupil at Iten Primary school took him around several estates and they managed to secure a house at Kariobangi.
But little did she know her generosity would cut short her education.
"He promised me many things, including paying my secondary school fees and assisting my parents. He later convinced me to live with him as I attended school. I later dropped out in class eight after I became pregnant," she rues.
The athlete then asked her to procure an abortion. " When I refused, he kicked me out of the house."
Her mother — a 38-year-old peasant farmer, told The Standard she broke into tears when the daughter told her that she was two months pregnant.
She says the athlete later moved to another camp. "He abuses me and my mother whenever we call him."

Two of the girls who claim they were impregnated by athletes. [PHOTO: COURTESY ]

Just some few meters from her home, lives another young girl with a similar story. At only 15, she is nursing her frustrations after being impregnated and dumped by another athlete.
We found her attending to her parents’ cows with her two-year-old baby strapped to her back.
ENTICED
She was preparing to register for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination when she was enticed with a mobile phone and a watch by an athlete.
No sooner had their relationship picked up than she got pregnant. The man, she says, relocated to another camp in Uasin Gishu leaving her to carry the nine-month burden alone.
The two girls are just some of the many young girls in Iten who epitomise the unsporty behaviour of some athletes training in the area.
Keiyo North District Education Officer, (DEO) Nicholas Anyang confirmed the complaints arrayed against some of the athletes.
"We investigated the complaints and established that some of the athletes are ruining the future of our girls," he told The Standard.
The DEO said some of the athletes were illiterate and do not value education.
Mr Anyang cited a case where an athlete eloped with a KCPE candidate in May last year only for her to sit the exams from hospital because she was expectant.