FKF boss says they respect SDT ruling, but not in total agreement
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Nick Mwendwa (pictured) has said they will respect the decision made by Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) on Tuesday and start the polls afresh as per the recommendations made by the tribunal chairman John Ohaga in his 26-page ruling.
Speaking to People Daily, Mwendwa said despite respecting the tribunal’s ruling, the National Executive Committee (NEC) arm of the federation did not agree with it, “but the best thing to do is to respect their wish and start the entire process again.”
On Tuesday, with three days to the national polls where Mwendwa could have gone unopposed as he had no opponent in his quest to defend his position, Ohaga nullified the polls and called for fresh start to the entire process with proper constituted guidelines after Nyamira Sub Branch chairman Jared Nyauma together with former and current football administrators Sam Nyamweya, Alex Magelo, Lordvick Aduda, Steve Mburu, Angeline Mwikali and former Vihiga Governor Moses Akaranga failed a case questioning the credibility of the electoral board and why the sub branch polls had been overlooked.
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“We don’t agree with the ruling, but we have to respect STD and we will start the polls afresh despite the fact that only a few people who are even members of the federation were not satisfied with the process, yet majority of genuine members were totally satisfied and participated in the exercise,” Mwendwa said.
He said the move had dragged the federation’s progress in football development, arguing that they had already spent Sh12 million in calling for the Annual General Meeting and conducting the branch elections.
“I have called for a meeting to discuss in details what step we will take next because currently I don’t know where we will get money to start the process again. But what I can assure is that we repeat the polls and we are going to publish a road map soon to set the ball rolling,” Mwendwa said.
Democratic rights
About article C (4) (3) of the Fifa Standard Electoral Code which says, ‘The ordinary general assembly at which the committee is elected shall take place at least six months before the elective general assembly at which the executive body is elected,’ Mwendwa said it was just a guideline by the world governing body and it was not cast on stone.
He argued that if followed to the letter, it would mean that polls will be held after one year and that would deny football stakeholders their democratic rights of choosing their preferred leaders now, especially after SDT ruled that the status quo in football leadership remains until the polls are held.
In case the federation decides to appeal the ruling at the Court of Arbitration in Sports in Switzerland, the polls may also drug for more than a year and probably follow the path of Athletics Kenya (AK) which has not held elections for four years.
