Aspirants battle for posts in NOC-K polls

The eagerly-awaited National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) elections will be held Thursday in Nairobi with a new team expected to take over office for another four-year period.

Incumbent President and distance running legend Paul Tergat will be unopposed at the elections to be held at the Pride Inn Hotel.

The former world marathon record holder and his team took over office in September, 2017.

No challenger arose for the president’s post by the end of nominations on November 25.

The Centre for Corporate Governance (CCG) — that is running the election process — has cleared 26 candidates proposed and seconded by 24 federations for the Electoral Congress. A total of 13 positions will be at stake during the election congress with 27 votes up for grabs.

The only other candidates who are unchallenged besides Tergat are Athlete Representatives Humphrey Kayange and Hellen Obiri.

Each of the 23 federations that have been cleared will have one vote each but there are four other special votes from the president, women’s representatives and male and female representatives.

Hold on together

Kenya Swimming Federation is the latest affiliate to be cleared for the process along with Football Kenya Federation, Badminton Kenya and Kenya Golf Union.

With the current office arguably having done exceptionally well upon taking office with virtually no scandals witnessed during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the four special votes could benefit the incumbents.

Campaigns witnessed camps coming up but the executive has endeavoured to hold on together going into the elections.

The position of the First Deputy President, Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General, Treasurer and Executive Committee member will be the most competitive.

It can be recalled that Shadrack Maluki, who is also the Africa Judo Federation President, beat Kenya Hockey Union chairman Nashon Randiek by one vote after garnering 10 votes for the First Deputy President seat. Maluki, who is the Kenya Judo Federation chairman once again face Randiek in a contest that has also attracted John Kilonzo, Director of Commercials at Kenya Rugby Union (KRU).

With victory likely to be decided by small margins, the entry of Kilonzo, who was beaten at the previous election where he got two voters in the race for the Secretary General seat, still brings in some excitement.

Second Deputy President Waithaka Kioni, who is the Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) President, will defend his position against former world marathon record holder Tegla Loroupe.

Kioni, who was the chef de mission for Team Kenya for the Tokyo Olympics, stands a better chance just like the previous election where he beat Athletics Kenya President Jack Tuwei after polling 13 against six.

Last time round, Loroupe lost in her quest to become women's representative to Paurvi Rawal, polling six against 12 votes.

The Secretary General’s seat is perhaps where the battle will be the most vicious with three candidates going head-on.

It has attracted incumbent Francis Paul, current Deputy Secretary General Francis Mutuku and Kenya Table Tennis Association (KTTA) President Andrew Mudibo.

Paul stunned Mudibo by one vote, polling nine but after Paul stepped aside to clear his name following allegations of financial impropriety at the Rio 2016 Olympics, Mutuku has been the acting Secretary General. Paul has since been cleared of any wrongdoing.

From the previous regime

It came as a surprise when Mudibo lost to Paul especially after he led the campaign that brought changes at NOC-K. Knowing his mistakes, will Mudibo crack it this time around?

With Paul stepping aside owing to the 2016 Rio Olympics corruption case, Mutuku has been the acting Secretary General.

Kenya Amateur Weightlifting Association (KAWA) chairman Anthony Kariuki will defend his treasurer’s position against Kenya Volleyball Deputy Treasurer Moses Mbuthia.

Kariuki is the only other person, apart from Paul, who survived from the previous regime. It will take Mbuthia a well-crafted assault to unseat him.

With Mutuku going up, the Deputy Secretary General post has now attracted Executive Committee member Shoaib Vayani, former Deputy Secretary General James Chacha and Softball Federation official Francis Karugu.

KAWA Secretary General John Ogolla will take on Agnes Oluoch, the Kenya National Paralympics Committee (KNPC) President, for the Deputy Treasurer's position.

Rawal will defend her Women's Representative seat against Mududa Waweru. Three slots are up for grabs in the Executive Committee docket that will equally be competitive.

The posts have attracted seven contestants including incumbents Winnie Kamau (Swimming) and Paul Otula (Basketball).

Others are Barnaba Korir (Athletics), Charles Mose (Cycling), Suleiman Sumba (Taekwondo), June Waweru and Benjamin Musa (Boxing).

The NOC-K contestants:

President:

Paul Tergat (unopposed)

First Deputy President:

Shadrack Maluki, John Kilonzo, Nashon Randiek

Second Deputy President:

Waithaka Kioni, Tegla Loroupe

Secretary General:

Francis Paul, Francis Mutuku, Andrew Mudibo

Deputy Secretary General

Mohamed Shoaib, James Chacha, Francis Karugu

Treasurer

Moses Mbuthia, Anthony Kariuki

Deputy Treasurer

Agnes Oluoch, John Ogolla

Executive Committee members (three positions available):

Paul Otula, Winnie Kamau, Barnaba Korir, Charles Mose, Suleiman Sumba, June Waweru, Benjamin Mose

Women’s Representative:

Paurvi Rawal, Mududa Waweru

Athlete Representatives (Male):

Humphrey Kayange (unopposed)

Athlete Representatives (Female):

Hellen Obiri (unopposed)