Kenya Aquatics technical director Omar Omari has raised concerns over the deteriorating condition of the Kasarani Aquatic Complex, warning that neglect of the facility is hurting swimmer development and the sport’s growth.
Omari urged the government, through Sports Kenya, to ensure continuous maintenance of the pool, describing it as a critical national asset.
“My plea to Sports Kenya is to make sure the pool remains in good condition. This is the only Olympic-size swimming pool in East Africa, and a source of pride for the swimming community,” Omari said.
He noted that swimmers from at least eight neighbouring countries regularly visit the facility for training and benchmarking, stressing that such an important centre cannot be allowed to fall into disrepair.
“We cannot afford to neglect such an important facility. Someone somewhere is sleeping on the job,” he said, adding that poor maintenance is not only killing talent but also hurting the economy.
Despite the concerns, Omari remained optimistic about the sport’s future, outlining the long-term athlete development pathway toward the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. He said Kenya has the potential to produce swimmers who can achieve A and B qualifying times.
“If all stakeholders work together in the next one and a half years and raise coaching standards, we can deliver and produce world-class swimmers,” he added.
Omari made the remarks at the conclusion of the Kenya Aquatics Long Course Championships at the Kasarani complex, where Braeburn Swim Club emerged overall winners with 29 gold, 15 silver and 17 bronze medals.
Sea Horses Aquatics finished second with a total of 53 medals—18 gold, 25 silver and 10 bronze—while Mombasa Aquatics placed third with 15 gold, 17 silver and seven bronze for a total of 39 medals. A total of 56 teams participated in the championships.
Kenya Aquatics president Maureen Owiti announced that selection criteria for the Africa Aquatics junior, senior and masters championships in Ghana in May, as well as the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, will be released soon.
She urged clubs, coaches and athletes to ensure they are in good standing with the federation, and encouraged all, including masters swimmers, to update their membership records.
Attention now shifts to the National Masters Swimming Championships and the Junior Championships, scheduled for Mombasa in April and August, respectively.
