Kelvin Kiarie: Sports Ministry enters debate as skater announces withdrawal from World Skate Games 2026

The Ministry of Sports has said that it is currently working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to obtain an emergency Panama transit visa for Kenyan skater Kelvin Kiarie, following travel complications that forced him to miss his intended departure for the World Skate Games in Paraguay.

According to a statement shared on October 8 by the Sports Ministry, Kiarie, who personally organized his travel arrangements for the October 2–18 games, booked a flight path requiring a layover in Panama.

However, because Panama lacks a resident embassy in Nairobi, securing the necessary transit visa required high-level diplomatic intervention.

"As Panama does not maintain a resident embassy in Kenya, the matter required facilitation through the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs and the appropriate Panamanian diplomatic channels,” the Sports Ministry stated in part.

Recognizing the tight timeline after Kiarie missed his planned October 2 departure, officials instructed the skater to explore alternative flight itineraries that bypass Panama entirely so the ministry could assist with a new route.

Source: Citizen Digital