Executive stripped off powers at NOCK election

Nock officials, including Kipchoge Keino (second right), when they appeared before the National Assembly Labour and Social Welfare Committee on September 6, 2016 over Rio fiasco. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • A stakeholders meeting to review the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (Nock) draft constitution have stripped off the Nock executive voting powers during the Electoral Congress.

  • In a move that should usher in a new era, Nock President has also been stripped off the powers to break the tie in case of a tie and instead a run-off will be called instead.

  • The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had recommended some of these changes to the Nock constitution that is currently under review but Nock kept them a secret.

A stakeholders meeting to review the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (Nock) draft constitution have stripped off the Nock executive voting powers during the Electoral Congress.

In a move that should usher in a new era, Nock President has also been stripped off the powers to break the tie in case of a tie and instead a run-off will be called instead.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had recommended some of these changes to the Nock constitution that is currently under review but Nock kept them a secret.

The current Electoral Congress has 33 voters, 21 from, federations, 12 from executive committee and one IOC member.

The meeting called by Nock on Monday was in pursuit of beating the deadline imposed by IOC after the initial meeting last year abort after a demonstration at Nock offices.

The draft constitution now recognises members of the Executive Committee as non-voting members in such capacity in the meetings of the general assembly.

The amendment is a big blow for the sitting executive since the previous arrangement gave them a big head start of 12 votes if they agreed to vote as bloc, a scenario that has seen them cling on to power and lock out any challenger.

However, members rejected a recommendation by the IOC to grant two athletes representatives, five times World cross country champion Paul Tergat and four times Boston marathon champion Catherine Ndereba together with the women's representative Tegla Loroupe voting rights.

 “We felt that it was not fair to grant other members a special status as we are all equal,” said Nock first vice chairman Ben Ekumbo.

The draft constitution will be sent to the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland on Tuesday.

After the draft has been approved, NOCK will convene a Special General Meeting (SGM) to adopt it.

Ekumbo said the NOCK elections will be held by March 31st in accordance with the roadmap by IOC.