10 FKF aspirants push for IEBC, LSK to conduct polls
Kenya Soccer Players Association Secretary General, Harold Ndege (second right) addresses a press conference of Football Kenya Federation presidential aspirants and football stakeholders in Nairobi on October 3, 2024.
What you need to know:
- The FKF Electoral Board, which was formed on September 23, is composed of Hesbon Owilla (Chairman), Dan Mule, Merceline Sande, James Waindi, and Alfred Ngang’a. Nyamweya and Alila claimed that the mandatory six-month period for holding the elections had not been met, and raised concerns over the absence of an appeal board.
- With Hussein Mohamed already in the race, Nyamweya and Alila are expected to officially announce their bids next week, outlining their plans to reform Kenyan football.
Ten Football Kenya Federation (FKF) presidential aspirants and football stakeholders are pushing for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) or the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) to oversee the upcoming FKF elections, citing concerns over transparency and fairness.
The national elections are scheduled for December 7, following county-level polls on November 9. In a statement read on their behalf by the Kenya Soccer Players Association Secretary General, Harold Ndege, they also demanded regular updates on the voters’ registry from the newly formed FKF Electoral Board. They accused the board of favoring the current FKF regime.
“We want the board to take on an oversight role and appoint either the IEBC or LSK to manage the elections immediately,” said Ndege Thursday during a press conference in Nairobi.
“They must also transparently notify stakeholders of any changes to the voters' register and ensure adherence to the 2013 Sports Act.”
The press conference brought together former FKF President Sam Nyamweya, Extreme Sports CEO Hussein Mohamed, Gor Mahia Secretary General Sam Ochola, Bandari Vice Chairman Twaha Mbarak, and former Kenya Premier League CEO Jack Oguda. Also present were former Kenyan internationals, Sammy Owino ‘Kempes’ and MacDonald Mariga, as well as FKF Nyanza Region NEC member, Tom Alila, and Charles Njoroge.
The group raised concerns about the impartiality of the outgoing FKF President Nick Mwendwa and Secretary Barry Otieno, urging the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to investigate their conduct and exclude them from participating in any election-related tasks.
“We demand that the Ministry of Sports immediately undertake to change the location of the electoral board from Kandanda House. There should be strict oversight by both local and international stakeholders to guarantee a credible, transparent, and verifiable electoral process,” added Ndege.
The aspirants also questioned the budget allocation for the elections, insisting that they must be consulted to maintain integrity in the process. They threatened to take legal action if the board continued to align itself with the current regime, casting doubt on the legality of the elections.
The FKF Electoral Board, which was formed on September 23, is composed of Hesbon Owilla (Chairman), Dan Mule, Merceline Sande, James Waindi, and Alfred Ngang’a. Nyamweya and Alila claimed that the mandatory six-month period for holding the elections had not been met, and raised concerns over the absence of an appeal board.
With Hussein Mohamed already in the race, Nyamweya and Alila are expected to officially announce their bids next week, outlining their plans to reform Kenyan football.
