Has Wesley Korir gone over to the dark side?

I do not know what to make of this. Very confusing. I have cheered Easr African runners for so long. These stories give me pause

Another interesting story about what going on with Korir and PAAK:

It isn't hard to manufacture doping stories when several dozen Kenyans have tested positive within several years.

I bet there is some less-than wholesome journalism happening, just like what happens in the news cycle for any major story. A major issue is uncovered, and then tabloid-ized by journalist piggy-backing on the story trying to make a buck.

But the fact that Korir is only finding issue with the tabloidism, and not the root of the issue, is frustrating.

Until we know more, the simplest explanation fits well: Powers that be traded him an Olympic spot for shifting the blame to foreign agents.

I have long suspected he was full of it...an anecdote in this article

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/columns/story?id=5016956

was just too much:

"Life will once again go back to normal for Korir next week when he returns to Louisville and continues his day job as a maintenance man at Kurz Hall, a student residence at the University of Louisville. He fixes toilets, repairs air conditioning units and makes broken light fixtures look like new again. Korir, who graduated from Louisville with a degree in biology pre-med in 2008, can also pinch hit as a tutor while he repairs your leaky faucet.

"Sometimes when I go to a room and see a kid having problem with math or biology, I'll give them an answer and they can't believe it," said Korir, who had to request time off for the race from his boss. "They look at me and say, 'You are plunging a toilet and now you're helping me with chemistry?' It's amazing to help these kids do something they don't know how to do. It's the best feeling.""

GAG.

Also i don't like that his first thought is to go after the "permits" and "visas" of foreign journalists. Strongman tactics.

I was greatly disappointed to read the QOD. I always thought that Wesley could make a real positive impact on Kenya's athletic program and eventually in politics.

Maybe not.

I have no idea as to what is traversing with regard to this story and I have no knowledge whatsover on what is going on.

That said, let me reiterate what I said here a few days ago.

Wesley Korir SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN on the Kenyan team and frankly, he should be nowhere near the team. He should not even be a chaperon or a motivational speaker. His best days are behind him adn for our federation to select him at the expense of people like Kipsang and chumba is frankly idiotic!

I have a feeling that his power had everything to do with his selection.

This is a guy who lost a podium place to Yemane Adhane in the last 200m or even 100m. Adhane will most probably not even be on the team - my hunch.

In Kneya, politicians are like small gods. They get away with everythign including murder-literally!

Korir's salary is about KES 500,000 (base salary)- about USD 5,000.

This is monthly. In Kenya, we talk about monthly salary unlike the US which talks about annual salary.

When you factor in allowances, mileage claim and all that, it comes to about KES 1,000,000. That is about USD 10,000.

Now, in Kenya, a teacher earns about KES 20,000 depending on his/her grade. 200 USD!

MPs are demi gods and more.

They drive Toyota Prados (Lexuses/Lexi) and Range Rovers.

They are arrogant and aloof!

They live in leafy Suburbs with guards and they have bodyguards.

In Kenya, if one was to become an MP, one would collect 60 million shillings in a term.

Then there is the ease with which they get all the deals-government contracts e.t.c. It has no limit. They get all the deals through their wives' (companies) and other family members.

For someone like Wesley and Elijah lagat (Chesumei MP), if the AK misbehaved, they'd finish them in a New York minute in parliament or even street wise. It is not out of the realm of possibility.

so, as much as I have no idea as to how Wesley was selected, itis against this background that I can never rule out anything untoward.

In Kneya, MPs work two days in a week.

They have sittings on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 P.M. to 6 or 6:30 P.M.

Then , they break to go to their constituencies to see to the needs of their constituents.

What a life.

I hope to one day become a nominated MP/Senator. Ha ha ha!

Honestly, is there anything other than the "dark side" in African politics? I've just assumed every single person that's ever been involved in politics on that entire continent either started out corrupt to their core or became corrupt in a very short amount of time. Widespread political corruption means poverty for the average citizen and as we all know, Africa leads the world in that.

There's no explanation other than corruption for Korir being on the team.

And now he wants to suppress freedom of the press.

Some reformer.

Journalistic lies are slander, not freedom.

Anyone who publishes such trash should be locked up in prison.

The same goes for journalistic liars in the US, as well as in Kenya.

credit for all that he's accomplished...but he's a narcissist. listen to his interviews.

Freedom, not slander wrote:

Journalistic lies are slander, not freedom.

Anyone who publishes such trash should be locked up in prison.

The same goes for journalistic liars in the US, as well as in Kenya.

The point of freedom of the press is that the government does not get to decide what are "journalistic lies." And the doping problem in Kenya and the US and elsewhere is not a journalistic lie.

This seems like a huge mess.

I Googled the name Julius Ndegwa. Assuming it's the same guy, he appears to be a criminal Kenyan politician -- fraud, theft, corruption, drug smuggling.

http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2015/11/12/lamu-mp-accused-of-forging-dead-man-signature-to-get-sh4-million-land_c1240884

http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2015/08/13/lamu-mp-julius-ndegwas-car-impounded-with-bhang-heroin_c1186377

http://www.nation.co.ke/news/Lamu-West-MP-Julius-Ndegwa-charged-with-abuse-of-office/-/1056/2746944/-/awfpuoz/-/index.html

Good point. It is hard to know what is going on. For example, the timing is odd. Korir, a politician, is unexpectedly named to the team and then comes out with these allegations and linking journalists to a corrupt person.

Other dopers wrote:

Freedom, not slander wrote:

Journalistic lies are slander, not freedom.

Anyone who publishes such trash should be locked up in prison.

The same goes for journalistic liars in the US, as well as in Kenya.

The point of freedom of the press is that the government does not get to decide what are "journalistic lies." And the doping problem in Kenya and the US and elsewhere is not a journalistic lie.

No, but paying people to give 'anonymous interviews' where they read your script certainly is.

This is quite obviously happening and is easy to spot. BBC have done it,,ARD have done it. They present 'evidence' of 'local runner says doping is widespread' and the runner has his back to the camera or face blurred out and he gives non specific information and makes generic 'accusations' about how so many Kenyans dope.

Freedom, not slander wrote:

Journalistic lies are slander, not freedom.

Anyone who publishes such trash should be locked up in prison.

The same goes for journalistic liars in the US, as well as in Kenya.

AMEN! They write whatever trash they please at the expense of good peoples reputations and get away with it. All they care about is their paycheck. They should be forced to pay the victims of their stories money instead of prostituting them and collecting the money for themselves!

DARKNESS....

OH.MY.SIDES! I'm seeing this thread for the first time and it is freakin' HILARIOUS!

*small interval to get myself together*

OK, we're back. Let's first get this out of the way: Wesley Korir is not even among Kenya's current top ten best marathoners and has absolutely no business being in the team. He's proven to be as selfish and self-serving as any other politician in spite of all the talk of change. Yes, as independent, he's not beholden to the big parties but using political muscle to deny more deserving people a chance to represent their country is unforgivable. Especially knowing he'll be a disaster in Rio and might come in 17th IF he finishes. This is a vanity trip he's taking and Kenya does not deserve it. Wesley, if you're reading this, do the honourable thing and step aside for one of the alternates. There's still time to redeem yourself.

Now, only one person on this thread was smart enough to do their own research instead of being spoon fed by quotes on the front page. Doesn't reflect well on you lot jumping to conclusions. Julius Ndegwa is, hands down, the dirtiest, most criminally corrupt excuse of a human being in Kenyan politics; and that, in itself, is saying something. Rod Blagoevich has nothing on this guy, it's as if Chicago decided to elect Al Capone to office. Every Kenyan outside of his constituency is hoping he loses the election next year so the law can go full-blast after filthy a**. Prison is too good for this maggot, he belongs in hell.

But of course, LetsRunners think he's the good guy because he's accommodating foreign journalists feeding them explosive headlines to file back home. There's something sinister going on, he probably wants to take over PAAK or sees an opportunity for kickbacks of some kind. The fact that they're on opposite sides of this fight reflects well on the Honorable Korir as an MP.

This guy embodies the rot in Kenyan politics and for him to be seen as some kind of whistle-blower fighting the good fight is so laughable, I'm sharing this thread with Kenyan friends to show how misinformed people are about us.

Again, Wesley, I know you read this site. Step aside for better runners, it's the right thing to do.

Aaaabbbbcccc wrote:

Other dopers wrote:

The point of freedom of the press is that the government does not get to decide what are "journalistic lies." And the doping problem in Kenya and the US and elsewhere is not a journalistic lie.

No, but paying people to give 'anonymous interviews' where they read your script certainly is.

This is quite obviously happening and is easy to spot. BBC have done it,,ARD have done it. They present 'evidence' of 'local runner says doping is widespread' and the runner has his back to the camera or face blurred out and he gives non specific information and makes generic 'accusations' about how so many Kenyans dope.

This is pretty much what's happening. Of course testimony from an anonymous Kenyan "athlete" who just happens to a have 70 min PB in the half marathon is more enticing to these media houses than anything Bro Colm, Eliud Kipchoge or Caleb Ndiku might have to say. Any jogger who enters a road race in Kenya is suddenly a "Kenyan athlete" because that gets headlines.