– It is a very corrupt place. Damn. It’s absolutely sick. That’s what Abdullahi Dahir Rabi told news after his experience in Kenya earlier in February. – I had checked in and was going to go through passport control, but a policeman was standing there and said: “You were supposed to leave a few days ago. You’ve been here a little too long, so you have to pay 200 euros,” he continues. The athlete had been in Kenya for a training camp for five weeks, and says he had a visa that allowed him to legally stay in the country for 90 days. It was an argument that Rabi claims he did not reach. “I am the one who decides. You have to pay or you lose the plane,” the policeman is said to have told Rabi. FUTURE STORM: Abdullahi Dahir Rabi, here he is running at the front together with Jakob Ingebrigtsen during the 1,500 meter attempt at the NM in 2019. Photo: NTB Screaming at the policeman The Norwegian was to run a street race in Monaco not many days later, and it would therefore have been a crisis to miss the flight. The 20-year-old says he was scared and intimidated, but decided to call his coach to ask for advice. – He said he had been there many times, but had never experienced anything like this. He thought I would only have to pay if he refused me. The policeman had my passport and would not give it back, says Rabi. He still chose to take a new phone. This time to a Dutch friend, who, according to Rabi, usually trains in Kenya and knows the system better than he himself does. – He said the policeman was just trying to scam me, and asked me to scream loudly, so that everyone could hear it. Rabi was desperate and therefore followed his friend’s advice. “Give me my passport back,” he screamed. – It was almost embarrassing, but I had to do it to try. He got scared and gave me the passport right away, says Rabi. But even though he had now fit safely back in his hand, the policeman refused to let him past and onto the plane. Rabi thus sought out another policeman, but he did not let him pass either. – I said I was going to call the embassy and report them, and then I started screaming even louder. Everyone around me asked what happened and then they just let me pass, says Rabi. TALENT: Abdullahi Dahir Rabi during the “Night of highlights 2022” athletics event at Bislett Stadium. He represents Runar IL. Photo: Annika Byrde / NTB The airport authorities in Kenya have not responded to news’s inquiry in this matter. – Now I know the game Rabi finally got on the plane and took a new Norwegian record and second place in the five kilometer street race in Monaco. Looking back on his experience in Kenya, he believes the policeman would have let him pass if he had only paid 50 of the 200 euros he demanded to be paid. Rabi has been to Kenya before, but says he was surprised that it “was so corrupt”. According to senior researcher at the Norwegian Foreign Policy Institute (Nupi), Jens Christian Andvig, corruption is very common in Kenya. That it happens with simple tourist visas, however, is not that common. AFRICA KNOWLEDGE: Jens Christian Andvig has expertise in Africa, development policy and international economics. Photo: Christopher Olssøn He points out that it is a good idea to read all documents carefully, and offers the following advice to those who experience a similar situation as Rabi: – For example, the wrong date can be given so that the legal time in the country has expired at return to home country. In that way, one colleague helps another to an income opportunity. Also, you should have plenty of time so that you don’t just have to pay to catch the plane. Although the previous trip was a bad experience for Rabi, the street runner does not rule out that he wants to go back. – There are very nice people, it is only the system that is corrupt. They don’t try everything, but they do sometimes. I was very annoyed by what happened, but until next time I know to just scream. It’s absolutely sick, but now I know the game, he says.
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Norwegian great talent claims he was tried to be refused exit from Kenya
