Candidates cry foul over rules

A major showdown is expected at the Football Kenya Federation third Annual General Meeting in Nairobi on Friday.

A total of 68 delegates are expected to take part in the AGM, which will set the stage for the federation’s General Election in November.

The delegates are heavily divided on various critical issues including the modalities and rules concerning the eligibility of potential aspirants in the elections, which makes for a highly charged and potentially explosive meeting.

On Wednesday evening, FKF drove the tension a notch higher by announcing new and tough conditions to be met by all prospective aspirants.

The federation said that for any contestant to be considered a viable candidate, (s)he must have been either a member of its National Executive Committee, a chairman of a team that features in either the top-tier league or in the FKF Premier League, or a chairman in any of the its branches.

These rules automatically locked out several contestants among them Gor Semelang’o and Nashon Oluoch “Lule”. In separate interviews with the Daily Nation Sport on Thursday, the two called upon delegates to reject these “retrogressive rules” in Friday’s AGM so as to promote fairness and equality in the elections.

Semelang’o said: “We are concerned that FKF executive committee proposes rules and regulations that do not serve football interests but rather perpetuate and support the status quo.

“We also call upon delegates attending the Friday AGM to reject the proposed regulations because they have been designed to serve one individual’s interests at the expense of the real stakeholders.”

Nashion Oluoh echoed Semelang’o’s views and challenged FKF chairman Sam Nyamweya to contest fairly.

“The rules are retrogressive and should not be used to prevent competent men and women who may have something good to offer the football fraternity in this country.

CONTENTIOUS ISSUES

“Despite never being a club chairman or a member of the National Executive Committee, I have been involved in football related activities all my life,” Oluoch said.

The federation has also truncated the list of delegates from the original 78 to just 68 members but FKF CEO Michael Esakwa explained that some branch officials have unclear statuses, and can therefore not be counted as delegates.

The reinstatement of the Kenyan Premier League Limited and the review of the bans slapped on former officials Hussein Terry and Dan Shikanda are some of the contentious issues set to be discussed this morning. The NEC has recommended amnesty to the suspended officials.

The delegates shall also deliberate on the Amendment of Statutes and the approval of financial statements, and they will also hold discussions on specific proposals submitted by the members.

This will be the federation’s second attempt at holding an AGM this year as the first meeting aborted in June.