Kenyan Olympic Captain Claims Team is Stranded in a Favela in Rio

Kenyan marathon runner Wesley Korir has claimed that he and his fellow athletes have been stranded in a favela in Rio de Janeiro, with officials delaying their departure while waiting for “a cheap flight.”

Korir was Kenya’s team captain at the Olympics, and is also an independent MP for Cherangany Constituency. In a series of tweets starting on Wednesday afternoon, he heavily criticised Kenyan administrators and politicians over the provisions made for Team Kenya in the aftermath of the Games.

Korir posted pictures of Team Kenya’s accommodation on Wednesday evening, showing a dilapidated building in one of Rio’s favelas. He said that there had been “gunshots heard all night” and that athletes had been instructed to stay indoors.

He also posted footage of the local area, adding that he had been arguing with officials about the situation. In an exchange with an outraged fan, he tweeted: “The best team in Africa and the second best all over the world in athletics and this is how they treat us.”

Team Kenya won 13 medals in Rio, making them the most successful African nation at the Games. Nonetheless, Kenyan organisers have been dogged by accusations of mismanagement throughout, leading the government to disband the National Olympic Committee of Kenya and order an internal investigation.