Candidates for FKF presidency to submit nomination papers

Candidates seeking the post of president in Football Kenya Federation (FKF) elections, and their running mates will Monday afternoon submit nomination papers to the electoral board at Kandanda House in Nairobi for approval.

Prior to this, candidates eyeing the National Executive Committee (NEC) positions will also submit their nomination papers for consideration.

FKF’s national elections will be conducted on December 7 after the conclusion of the exercise at the county level on November 9.

FKF Electoral Board is chaired by media and communication scholar Hesbon Owilla, and lawyer Marceline Sande is the secretary-general. Other members are former AFC Leopards chairman Dan Mule, communication consultant Alfred Ngang’a, and Sports Journalists Association of Kenya’s (Sjak) president James Waindi.

After today’s submissions, the electoral board will publish the preliminary list of candidates positions at the county,  NEC, and FKF presidency on Monday next week. The committee will address disputes arising from the preliminary list of candidates from October 24 to 26. 

Any appeals will be handled by the Appeals Committee between October 30 and November 1, after which the final list of candidates at the county and national level will be published on November 2.

Former Kenyan international Sammy ‘Kempes’ Owino, Murang’a Seal vice chairman Hussein Mohammed, Sports administrator Tom Alila, Kakamega Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula, former FKF president Sam Nyamweya, and outgoing FKF Secretary-General Barry Otieno are among the individuals who have declared their interest in FKF presidency.

Owino has named Andrew Amukowa as his running mate, while Hussein has chosen former Kenyan international McDonald Mariga.

Shimanyula will be deputised by Twaha Mbarak, while Alila has named football coach Beryl Adhiambo as his running mate.

It also remains to be seen if the current FKF president Nick Mwendwa and vice president Doris Petra will seek a third term in office, having served two four-year terms since 2016.

In a four-page letter to the federation dated January 30, 2024, Sports Registrar Rose Wasike explained that the Sports Act bars any sports official from serving in the same office for more than eight years.

Due to the seriousness of the responsibility of FKF president and vice president, candidates for these roles are required to meet more stringent qualifications compared to those vying for positions of NEC, County/branch officials.

Some of the documents that aspirants for the two senior roles will furnish the Electoral Board with are; proof of having played an active role in Kenyan football either as a player, member, or an official of FKF in two of the last five years as per the Fifa Statutes, at least five endorsements from any of the FKF members and satisfaction of the requirements for leadership and integrity set out in Chapter Six of the 2010 Kenyan Constitution. 

Initially, the Electoral Code stipulated that only those who had been active in local football in similar capacities for three of the last four years were eligible to vie. 

Delegates adopted the changes during the FKF Special General Meeting held at Sports View Hotel in Nairobi on August 24.

Candidates for the positions of president and vice president must also submit a Certificate of good conduct which shall not be older than six months together with clearance letters from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, Credit Reference Bureau, and a valid Tax Compliance Certificate from KRA. 

The Electoral Board closed the two-day window for the submission of county-level nomination papers on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) on Thursday issued a temporary, stopping the Electoral Board from publishing the register of clubs