The sports community in Kenya is mourning the loss of veteran sports administrator and Kenya Volleyball Federation(KVF) boss Waithaka Kioni, who passed away in the early hours of Sunday morning after a brief illness.
Kioni, who was also the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) second vice-president and the African Volleyball Confederation (CAVB) deputy president, was rushed to a Nairobi hospital on Saturday but unfortunately could not be saved.
Kioni had been at the helm of Kenyan volleyball since 2006 and was due to hand over the reins on April 29 during the delayed KVF national elections.
His sudden passing has shocked the volleyball fraternity in Kenya and Africa, with NOC-K expressing their deep sympathies and condolences to his family and friends.
In light of Kioni’s demise, all volleyball activities in the country have been suspended by the outgoing Secretary General of KVF, Ben Juma. This includes the Paul Bitok National Volleyball Tournament, which was set to conclude on Sunday and had attracted top-tier KVF league teams.
Kioni’s contributions to Kenyan volleyball and his leadership in various sports organizations will be remembered, and his untimely death has left a void in the sports community.
The details of the funeral arrangements and further updates will be shared by NOC-K and the Volleyball Federation leadership in due course.
