The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) unveiled its management team for the upcoming Paris summer games at a colourful ceremony held in Nairobi on Monday, January 30, 2023.
Judo Africa chairperson Shadrack Maluki was appointed to serve as the Chef De Mission, replacing Kenya Volleyball Federation President Waithaka Kioni.
Dimmy Kisalu and James Ondiege were handed the general manager and chief medical officer roles respectively.
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Wanjiru Karani, who was described as a fierce woman by the Team Kenya communication department, replaced Wangui Kibe as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
TeamKenya.co.ke takes a look at the profile of a woman tasked with the responsibility of managing Kenya’s overall Olympic operations.
Place of birth and education
Wanjiru Karani was born 49 years ago in Nairobi County. After completing her Primary and Secondary school education, she enrolled at Daystar University, graduating with a bachelor of arts in communication degree in 1998.
In 2017, Karani earned a Masters in Sports Organization Management from Belgium-based Université Catholique de Louvain.
Tennis career
During her youth years, Karani played professional tennis, representing the country in different international competitions including the FED Cup.
Karani’s success on the court earned her the national team’s captaincy role.
After hanging her tennis racquet, the one-time Kenya Open singles champion tried her luck in administrative roles and was elected in 2011 to serve as a member of the Kenya Lawn Tennis Association (KLTA).
Four years later, she was selected as Tennis Kenya's secretary general, a position she retained during the 2019 elections.
Management experience
Karani, who has a Level II coaching certificate, is a guru in the sports management sector.
She has previously served as the Ligi Ndogo operations and logistics officer as well as the 2015 Kenya Open Tennis Championships tournament director.
A few years ago, Karani acted as the operations and logistics consultant during the Chapa Dimba na Safaricom football tournament.
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