African skating champion Kelvin Kiarie has publicly challenged claims made by State House digital strategist Dennis Itumbi regarding government support and reimbursements for his international competitions, opening a fresh controversy over the treatment of athletes in non-mainstream sports.
The dispute erupted after Itumbi shared what he termed a factual brief from Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi concerning the skater’s participation in recent international events.
In the statement, the Sports Ministry said it had approved and fully disbursed Ksh641,900 to the skating federation for Kiarie’s participation in the African Skating Championships in Egypt.
It also said the federation still owed the athlete Ksh380,000 and that Kiarie had received Ksh800,000 in cash awards for his performances in Benin and Egypt.
The advisory also claimed that funding for some events in Benin and Singapore could not be approved because of pending audit queries and the absence of formally approved budgets before the competitions began.
Kelvin Kiarie Responds to Itumbi’s Claims
However, the athlete swiftly rejected Itumbi’s account.
“My win in Benin was not recognized. Ps Elijah Mwangi committed to reimbursing me for all my self-sponsored events, including Singapore, Benin, and Egypt. To date, none of them has been reimbursed despite formal follow-up.
The federation has not yet channeled the funds 4 months later. I have missed 3 international competitions despite being assured of support. We applied for Paraguay funding in July,” Kiarie posted.
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The response quickly drew widespread attention online, with many users questioning whether the approved funds had actually reached the athlete.
The dispute comes against the backdrop of a series of achievements that have made Kiarie one of Kenya’s most successful skaters.
In December 2025, he represented Kenya at the Inline Freestyle World Championship in Singapore, where he finished 18th globally.
He followed that performance with a gold medal in Freestyle Battle and a silver medal in Classic Slalom at the International Skating Challenge in Cotonou, Benin, in April this year. Weeks later, he claimed gold at the African Skating Championships in Cairo, Egypt.
Unlike many elite athletes, Kiarie’s rise has largely been self-funded.
His journey attracted national attention earlier this year after he revealed that he had travelled to the airport using public transport because he could not afford private transport while heading to an international competition.
Kelvin Kiarie’s Struggles
Fresh details the athlete shared in recent days appear to support his claims of ongoing financial difficulties.
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On August 25, Kiarie disclosed that he had already missed three international skating competitions because of a lack of funding and feared he could miss the 2026 World Skate Games in Paraguay despite having registered for the event.
The athlete appealed directly to Kenyans for financial assistance, saying he required support to represent the country at the global competition.
He later revealed that he had received accommodation invoices worth €753 (Ksh 113,477) and that public contributions at the time stood at only Ksh23,000.
In a subsequent update shared hours before the latest dispute gained traction, Kiarie said supporters had contributed Ksh125,000 in kind.
Even then, he indicated that he was still Ksh215,000 short of the amount required to fully finance the Paraguay trip.
The fundraising appeals have raised fresh questions about the effectiveness of support structures available to athletes competing outside Kenya’s traditional sporting disciplines.
Kiarie’s central claim remains that despite promises of reimbursement for self-sponsored competitions in Singapore, Benin and Egypt, he has not received any of the money.
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