The Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports has clarified the circumstances that prevented Kenyan skater Kevin Kiarie Ruhiu from travelling to Asunción, Paraguay, to compete at the World Skate Games 2026.

Kiarie missed the competition after encountering a visa challenge related to his travel itinerary, which required him to transit through Panama. The World Skate Games are being held in Paraguay from October 2 to 18, 2026, with the men’s Inline Freestyle competition scheduled for October 6 to 9.

The issue came to public attention after Kiarie posted a video on social media appealing for government assistance with his travel arrangements.

Following the complaint, the Principal Secretary for Sports, Elijah Mwangi, directed the Directorate of Sports to contact Kiarie immediately and establish the problem preventing him from travelling.

According to the Ministry, the Director of Sports, Dr Bernard Ouma, subsequently contacted Kiarie, who explained that his booked itinerary required him to transit through Panama and that he needed assistance obtaining the necessary transit visa documentation.

The Ministry said the situation was complicated by the fact that Panama does not have a permanent embassy in Kenya. As a result, the matter had to be handled through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Affairs, as well as official diplomatic channels involving the Panamanian authorities.

The Ministry said that once the issue emerged over the weekend, the Directorate of Sports began preparing the necessary official correspondence to facilitate the visa process as quickly as possible.

However, the Ministry said it did not only explore the possibility of securing a Panamanian transit visa. It also advised Kiarie to consider an alternative travel route that would not require a Panama transit visa, given the limited time remaining before his event.

Kiarie was, therefore, asked to submit an updated travel itinerary so that the government could determine the quickest and most practical way of helping him reach Paraguay.

The Ministry, however, said another challenge emerged. According to its statement, the original itinerary submitted by Kiarie showed a departure date of October 2, which had already passed by the time the Directorate began addressing the matter.

The Ministry said it followed up with Kiarie to obtain a new travel itinerary but did not receive the updated document.

“Despite subsequent follow-up, an updated itinerary, necessary to progress either the diplomatic or alternative travel intervention, was not provided by Kevin,” the Ministry stated.

The Ministry maintained that the failure to complete the travel arrangements was not solely a visa issue, but was also affected by the limited time available and the absence of an updated itinerary that would have enabled the government to proceed with either diplomatic intervention or an alternative travel arrangement.

It further stressed that visa facilitation and international travel interventions involving foreign countries must be handled through established government and diplomatic procedures.

“The Ministry wishes to clarify that visa facilitation and international travel interventions involving foreign missions are undertaken through established Government and diplomatic procedures,” it said.

The Ministry added that athletes facing international travel challenges are expected to engage the relevant authorities early and provide complete and valid travel documentation to allow the necessary interventions to be made in good time.

The clarification comes after Kiarie said he had done everything within his control to make the trip to Paraguay but did not receive the support he needed.

“It’s unfortunate we shall not make it to the World Championship 2026. I’ve tried everything within my control. We were not accorded the appropriate support despite my efforts,” Kiarie said in a statement on October 6.

He added that competing at the event would have been a special moment for both him and Kenya after a strong season.

“Participating in this event could have been so special for me, I wanted to gift myself and my country but it’s well,” he said.

Kiarie had qualified to represent Kenya at the World Skate Games after performing strongly in international and African competitions. He was among Kenya’s representatives in the men’s Freestyle Slalom event.

The missed opportunity has since sparked debate over the support available to Kenyan athletes competing on the international stage, with Kiarie having previously raised concerns about challenges in securing government support for some of his competitions.