Sports CS Kipchumba Murkomen on Wednesday, November 13, addressed a viral video depicting the Kenya Women’s National Amputee Football Team seemingly stranded in Frankfurt, Germany.
In the video, well-wishers came through for the team by providing them with temporary shelter and food as they awaited a flight back to the country.
Although it was unclear what circumstances led to the team’s situation in Germany, the government faced criticism from many Kenyans who sympathised with the team, which had proudly represented the country by finishing fourth in the inaugural World Cup in Colombia.
However, in a strong rebuttal, Murkomen denied claims of neglecting the amputee team, issuing a detailed letter clarifying the sequence of events.
"The Ministry is perturbed by social media allegations that the team was mistreated, this allegation is not true," the statement read in part.
As per the letter, the amputee team delegation did not make any request or complaint to the Ministry or the Officials accompanying the teams for any additional assistance or support.
Murkomen further clarified that the team had been informed of the travel itinerary way before they travelled and they were in agreement with the travel schedule.
According to the Ministry, after all local training expenses were catered for, the team departed Barranquilla on November 11 and arrived in Frankfurt on November 12 at 1600hrs.
Since their flight back to Kenya was scheduled for Wednesday, November 13 at 11:30 am, it left a 13-hour layover. The team was, according to the Ministry, offered accommodation at a special lounge at the airport to rest during the stopover.
"The Lufthansa Airline organized a special lounge with beds inside the airport to enable the team have adequate rest during the 13hr stop over. The Ministry of Youth Affairs Creative Economy and Sports wishes to thank the airline for the good gesture and support to our team," the statement went on.
Since the entire team lacked a Schengen Visa, they could not leave the airport.
The other travel option would have been to travel via the United States but they also did not have visas to transit through.
Kenya's World Cup run: In the group stage, the Kenya team claimed a 1-0 victory over England before securing a 0-0 draw with Haiti. Their final group game saw Clement Otieno's team beat Peru 2-0.
An impressive run came to an end in the semifinals when they lost 1-0 to hosts Colombia in the unique tournament which featured a seven-a-side format with two 25-minute halves.
In the wake of their impressive performance in Colombia, Murkomen was among the first persons to congratulate the team on social media, saying, "Very proud of our Women's National Amputee Football Team, which has had a great run in the 2024 Women's Amputee Football World Cup in Colombia."
