Alexandra Ndolo Reopens Criticism of Kenya Sports System After Shock Budapest Grand Prix Exit

On Saturday, following a first-round exit at the Budapest Grand Prix in Hungary, Alexandra Ndolo launched her most scathing attack yet on the Kenya Fencing Federation (KFF) and the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K).

The world-ranked épée, who made history as Kenya’s first-ever Olympic fencer at the Paris 2024 Games, entered the Budapest Grand Prix as one of the top 20 fencers in the world.

However, her early elimination was, by her account, a failure of logistics rather than talent. In an unfiltered outburst on social media, Alexandra Ndolo highlighted the stark disparity between her preparation and that of her international peers.

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"Not a single athlete at this competition came without a coach, the highest ranked with a coach and physio. I am amongst the top 20 in the world, yet I'm forced to compete like an amateur," Alexandra Ndolo stated in a post on her Instagram page.

Alexandra Ndolo detailed the tactical disadvantage of standing on the piste alone: "While my opponent today had the expertise of her coach to consult in the minute break, I had no one, yet again. I am competing without a coach present because my current budget is only big enough for one flight ticket and accommodation."

The crux of Alexandra Ndolo's recent frustration lies in the perceived mismanagement of the International Olympic Committee funds.

While she receives a monthly stipend of 1,000€ (approx. Sh150,000) through NOC-K, she argues it is mathematically impossible to sustain a professional career on this amount alone.

"You tell me if this is enough to fly two people out to any competition. I can accept to lose, everybody does sometimes. What I don't want to accept is being forced to be unprofessional," she said.

Alexandra Ndolo also cautioned fellow diaspora athletes against returning to compete for Kenya, citing deep frustrations with the country’s sports administration.

She described a system plagued by serious governance issues, alleging that athletes are denied access to essential resources and support, with little accountability from those in charge.

Alexandra Ndolo further claimed that despite awareness of these concerns, senior officials within the wider sporting structure have failed to take corrective action, and in some cases have elevated individuals linked to the problems into influential positions.

"Representing a rotten federation, that withholds not some, but all of their assets. Representing a sports system that knows about it and instead of investigate and penalising such behavior, voted the president of my federation into the position of treasurer of the National Olympic Committee,” she added.

“The Kenyan sports system should be ashamed of itself! If you are not actively battling this status quo, you are part of the problem.."

This is far from Alexandra Ndolo’s first outcry against the federation. Since switching her sporting nationality in 2022, she has been a vocal critic of the lack of support.

In February 2026, she questioned whether her heritage was a factor in her neglect, asking, “Am I not being financed maybe because I'm only half Kenyan... or maybe because I don't live and train in Kenya?”

The financial friction reached a boiling point in late 2025 when Ndolo took the unprecedented step of suing the KFF at the Milimani Law Courts.

The lawsuit sought to compel the federation to release audited accounts from 2021 to 2025 and reimburse her for over Sh270,000 in personal funds spent on travel to the 2024 African Championships, expenses she claims the federation was funded for but never passed on to her.