Manoj Narshi Patel elected new Cricket Kenya chairman
Manoj Patel casts his vote during the Cricket Kenya elections at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on February 26,, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Patel whitewashed his other two competitors, Tariq Iqbal and Chidam Swaramanian, who both received no votes as the winner got 51.
Manoj Narshi Patel was on Saturday overwhelmingly elected as the new Cricket Kenya chairman.
Patel, a former Kenya international, floored Stray Lions Cricket Club chairman Chidambaran Subramanian and veteran cricketer Tariq Iqbal in the elections held at Moi International Sports Centre (MISC) Kasarani in Nairobi.
Patel garnered 51 votes while Subramanian and Iqbal got zero votes.
Patel will be assisted by Maina Kiruma Kamau (vice chairman), Kalpesh Solanki (treasurer), Perlyne Omamo (Director Women's Cricket) and former Kenya international Kennedy Otieno Obuya (County Associations Representative).
Maina garnered 50 votes while legendary all-rounder Thomas Odoyo, who was his only competitor in the vice chairman's post, received one vote.
Solanki was elected treasurer with 51 votes against Peter D' Costa's zero.
Omamo and Obuya were unopposed in the elections.
Seventy-one delegates were cleared by the IEP to take part in the elections.
The election proceeded as planned after Iqbal lost in his quest to stop the elections through the John Ohaga-chaired Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT), following an appeal by the Independent Elections Panel.
Iqbal, who is a former Kenya international, had Friday evening secured orders from SDT stopping the elections on grounds that the IEP headed by Dr Kenneth Mutuma had until last Wednesday not shared a copy of the voters register with the stakeholders.
Iqbal's other reason for seeking to stop the polls was that IEP had not vetted any of the candidates vying for various positions in order to determine their eligibility.
In appealing the order stopping the elections, the IEP argued that Iqbal’s application was made without full disclosure to SDT, and that he failed to exhaust the internal dispute resolution mechanisms as required by the 2021 Cricket Kenya constitution.
The IEP further argued that if the elections are not held as planned, Kenya will not fulfill her commitment to the International Cricket Council (ICC) thus being denied membership by the world body.
In overturning his earlier ruling stopping the elections, Ohaga said: "...the tribunal has the responsibility to ensure Kenya’s status as a sporting nation is promoted rather than eroded. The Tribunal also has a responsibility to ensure that its processes are not exploited for purpose that does not promote the proper governance and administration of sports in Kenya…”
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