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Kenya under scrutiny

REUTERS/AFP, undated
The International Cricket Council (ICC) said Thursday it would be sending an inspection team to Kenya next week to assess the country's security arrangements ahead of the World Cup.
Although the bulk of the 54 matches are being staged in South Africa, with six in Zimbabwe, Kenya are due to face New Zealand on February 21 and Sri Lanka on February 24 in the capital, Nairobi.
But question marks about Kenya's suitability as a World Cup venue have been raised following terror attacks in Mombassa in November.
In a statement the ICC said: "The delegation will be reviewing security arrangements for teams scheduled to play in Kenya during the ICC CWC (Cricket World Cup) 2003 to ensure that any real or perceived security concerns held by the countries playing in Kenya are identified and addressed."
The inspection team which includes New Zealand team manager Jeff Crowe, the former Test cricketer and Sri Lankan board chief executive Anura Tennekoon, is due to arrive in Kenya on Monday for a two-day visit.
Also on board are Richard Bevan, operations director of the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA), the global players' union and the chairman of the Kenyan Cricket Association, Jimmy Rayani.
The delegation will be accompanied by security experts and representatives of commercial partners and the Anti-Corruption Unit.
The ICC's announcement came on the same day as Kenya's newly-elected parliament held its first session.
However, ICC president Malcolm Gray said the inspection team would just concern itself with cricket issues.
"The ICC and its members are only concerned with cricket-related issues," said Gray.
"Questions have been raised about the safety and security of Kenya following the terrorist attacks on 28 November 2002 in Mombassa and it is important that we address those concerns," Gray explained.
"There are two ICC Cricket World Cup matches scheduled for Nairobi. The ICC delegation will be seeking assurances on the safety and security of all stakeholders in connection with these matches," the Australian added.
While in Kenya the inspection team will meet with government and police officials before preparing a report which the ICC will consider before deciding whether to go ahead with the two games there.
But they will not have much time to make up their minds. The World Cup is due to start on February 8.
Earlier Thursday, the British government told the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) that it would not provide compensation if England boycotted their February 13 World Cup match in Harare in protest at the policies of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe.
But the ICC remains committed to the view that World Cup matches will be moved from Zimbabwe only if the troubled country becomes unsafe for players, Gray said Friday.
Gray said the world cricket body could not make political judgements about President Robert Mugabe's regime in Zimbabwe, which the Australian and British governments accuse of human rights violations and election rigging.
Gray said the ICC had the competence and mandate to make judgements about safety in Zimbabwe, but political judgements were up to governments.
A 27-year-old Australian man was stabbed to death on Saturday in an apparent robbery attempt while visiting Victoria Falls in northwestern Zimbabwe.
Gray said he believed Zimbabwe was now safe, but the situation was constantly monitored by the World Cup committee in South Africa -- the principal host -- and its security advisers.
If the situation deteriorated, matches would be moved if there was time, he said.
If there wasn't -- if, for example, there was a serious incident within a day or two of a match -- there were procedures for allocating points.
Gray rejected suggestions the security situation could be used to solve the political problem.
Only in Australia and England -both of whose teams are to play in Zimbabwe -- did politics appear to be an issue, he said.