Kampala — National athlete Ayekho has to contend with the new challenge presented by Kenyans

AN influx of Kenyan long- distance runners into Uganda is causing unease among local athletes.

The Ugandans fear that the foreigners, who take advantage of lower quality competition here, could stifle the chances of indigenous runners.

Kenya is an athletics heavyweight and has stiff competition on its local circuit.

It is therefore easier for Kenyan runners to gain prominence in Uganda.

"They (Kenyans) are very many here and are blocking our chances," complained Simon Ayekho, an athletes' representative on Uganda Athletics Federation.

Ayekho expressed the local athletes feelings recently at an MTN Sportsman of the Year function at Soroti's Lions Club on the eve of the national cross-country.

Ayekho is the reigning 800m and 1500m Africa University Games gold medallist and 10,000m World University Games silver medallist.

But the runner could not commit himself on whether there are Kenyan runners who have already made it to the Ugandan national team.

He was however confident that several runners in the Arua, Gombe, Ndejje and Standard High teams that featured in Soroti were Kenyans.

UAF vice president Peter Omwony conceded having received such complaints earlier.

"I was told of some people who bring Kenyans and field them as Ugandans.

"But we have to investigate the matter. If we discover these athletes, we shall not give them passports," noted Omwony.

The official added that Ayekho was rightly complaining if it was indeed true that Kenyans were competing as Ugandans.

The nationality issue is complicated by the fact that the Sabiny, who form a considerable part of Uganda's team, are cousins of the Kalenjin across the border.

Establishing who is a Kenyan is therefore not easy as the two speak a similar language.

Talent for long distance running is in abundance in this region because of high altitude.

Omwony however noted that such controversies can in the future be avoided by broadening the talent search to other high altitude areas like Bundibugyo, Kabale, Kasese and Sironko.

In the past, Kabale and Kapchorwa, in particular, churned out promising long-distance runners.

But in the recent past, the supply has dwindled.