Football leaders prepare to meet amidst falling standards of game

Harambee Stars midfielder Johanna Omollo (right) tussles for the ball with Comoros' Mohamad Yousouf during their Africa Cup of Nations Group first-round first-leg qualifiers tie played at Nyayo Stadium on May 18, 2014. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

What you need to know:

  • Suspensions, expulsions, constitutional amendments to be discussed on Friday
  • Some 78 delegates will attend the meeting – FKF’s third AGM since the current office took over the running of the game in the country in 2011.

Football Kenya Federation will on Friday hold their Annual General Meeting in Kisii that will set the stage for national polls in October.

Some 78 delegates will attend the meeting – FKF’s third AGM since the current office took over the running of the game in the country in 2011.

Against dwindling football fortunes, the delegates will debate and consequently adopt or reject a 14-point agenda tabled by the federation on May 28.

The meeting will have one representative each (normally the chairman or secretary general) of each of the 16 Kenyan Premier League and 18 Football Kenya Federations clubs.

Others are two representatives (chairman and secretary general) from each of the 20 branches, plus a representative of the football coaches, referees, players and women football.

“We are challenging the federation on the issue of having fake delegates at that meeting as has always been the case. If that happens tomorrow (Friday), we shall challenge those minutes at the Sports Tribunal, or even in court,” the head of referees, GMT Ottieno, told Daily Nation Sport.

Coming from the horizon of a myriad of corruption related arrests of the game’s top officials and resignation of beleaguered Fifa President Sepp Blatter, and four months to the next federation elections, this AGM is expected to be contentious.

The readmission of the Kenya Premier League Limited as a member of the federation will be certain to generate debate.

KPL was formally expelled from the federation at a Special General Meeting held in Kakamega last year at the back of a public spat with FKF, but has continued to operate following a temporary reprieve from Fifa.

Then there is the adoption of the annual financial statements, which is traditionally a thorny issue in any Kenyan institution, and a far more explosive one within the football ranks. Last year’s accounts were disputed by some members led by Hussein Terry and Tom Alila.

LOST TO LESOTHO

The decision on whether to lift long-term suspensions on two top officials; former vice chairman Sammy Shollei and Dan Shikanda, formerly Nairobi branch chairman, and an expulsion slapped on Coast National Executive Member Hussein Terry has also been included on the agenda.

The AGM comes at a time of dwindling football fortunes in the country.

Kenya last year suffered the ignominy of losing to African football minnows Lesotho who knocked out the once proud Harambee Stars from the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Harambee Stars are currently ranked a lowly 123 in the world while all clubs were knocked out early in continental football.

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THE STATUS OF THE ACT

Tough rules for all sports organisations

  1. Each sports organisation shall observe the principle of gender equity in its elections and or nominations.
  2. Each office bearer shall hold office for a period not exceeding four (4) years, renewable only once, unless a person is disqualified from holding office.
  3. For one to be eligible for election, a candidate shall produce:
  • A Certificate of Good Conduct.
  • A Clearance Certificate from Kenya Revenue Authority.
  • A Clearance Certificate from the Higher Education Loans Board.
  • A Clearance Certificate from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.
  • Clearance from a Credit Reference Bureau.

THE CONTENTIOUS ISSUES

  1. Who will be kept out, who will be let in?
  2. That, if deemed fit, the General meeting reviews the life ban meted on Hussein Swaleh Hussein aka Hussein Terry.
  3. That, if deemed fit, the General meeting recognises Kenya Premier League Limited as the entity mandated by Football Kenya Federation to run and manage the top tier league with the pyramid of the federation.
  4. That, if deemed fit, the General meeting reviews the six-year ban meted out on Dan Shikanda.
  5. Amendment of Statues.
  6. Dismissal of a person or body.
  7. Approval of the financial statements.

THE DELEGATES

  • 78 hold Kenya’s football destiny
  • 2 Representatives from each of the 20 branches countrywide.
  • 1 Representative from each of the 16 FKF (currently known as KPL) Premier League clubs.
  • 1 Representative from each of the 18 National Super League clubs (currently known as the FKF) Premier League.
  • 1 Representative from the Football Coaches Association.
  • 1 Representative from the Players’ association.
  • 1 Representative from the Referees’ association.