Hard decisions may need simple solutions
Sports CS Ababu Namwamba (right) shares a word with Fifa Director Member Association Africa and former footballer Gelson Fernandes on January 9, 2023 during a press briefing at Maktaba kuu building, Nairobi.
What you need to know:
- The letter of the law may favour FKF but the spirit of it is still troubled. An immediate fair decision must be reached by the two antagonists in this duel or the youth shall suffer irreparable damage. Sobriety is really required here.
Last season was “silent noise” in Kenyan football. The main reason for this confusion was the duel between the Ministry of Sports and the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) over the running of football in this country.
The squabble ended in a Fifa ban of Kenya. The football world governing body flexed its muscle just to show us we must toe the line or be thrown under the bus.
Egos had been enlarged and the ousted FKF officials threw patriotism out of the window just to tell us it is either them or we can all collectively go to hell!
The new Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba had nothing to lose in terms of ego, and he blinked first by reinstating the former officials. That way, we were returned into the fold of international football.
While all the show of mettle was going on, the football leagues were being run by the FKF Caretaker Committee appointed by former Sports CS Amina Mohamed after she sent federation officials lead by Nick Mwendwa packing.
That body run a full season and promoted and relegated teams from all tiers of the league.
This way, the Administration Police Services Bomet (APS Bomet) found themselves in the FKF Premier League while seasoned teams like Mathare United had been relegated for not honouring more than three matches.
However, in a fresh battle, the reinstated FKF officials who were in buoyant spirits had to stamp their authority with great vigour.
They declared the 2021/22 league season null and void. This meant that all those teams that were relegated or promoted had to wind back to “factory settings”.
This was a bitter pill to swallow for the APS Bomet. They presented their case to the Sports Disputes Tribunal.
The Tribunal did its job and disagreed with the federation on several points. The FKF on the other hand pointed out that the Truninal had superseded its own powers!
We were back to point one and the leagues began in earnest. Since that time, APS Bomet have not honoured a single match, and the federation has issued a warning that it will suspend the team from the National Super League for this season (2022/23) and they shall be relegated to Division One in the season 2023/2024!
Even though FKF has the mandate to run the league, it should tamper its actions with a tinge of justice.
This issue needs to be resolved amicably and that good team be accommodated.
The letter of the law may favour FKF but the spirit of it is still troubled. An immediate fair decision must be reached by the two antagonists in this duel or the youth shall suffer irreparable damage. Sobriety is really required here.
