Echesa orders audit of BAK books
Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa walks past a poster of Cuba’s legendary boxer Teofilo Stevenson at the Cuban National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation in Havana. Echesa has ordered an audit of Boxing Association of Kenya ahead of their January elections. PHOTO | COURTESY |
What you need to know:
- Sports Dispute Tribunal stopped the November 16 BAK elections
- Two factions held parallel league bouts
- Repeat elections to be held in January
The government has ordered for an extensive audit of Boxing Association of Kenya (BAK) accounts before they can be allowed to hold their elections.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa has directed the Sports Registrar to move with speed and inspect the association’s activities and submit a report to his office before the Ministry can allow the association’s delayed elections.
BAK has been hit with wrangles that has threatened to split the association.
Speaking in Kakamega town, Mr Echesa explained that the government was committed to ensuring that BAK hold credible and fair elections. “Bad politics have affected the BAK elections leading to shortage of boxing officials in the country. BAK must come up with guidelines for contestants and an audit conducted to establish the cause of these wrangles. These conditions must be met before they hold elections,” he said.
Echesa was speaking during the fourth leg of the National Boxing League finals.
The boxing body has been hit by infighting that has led to holding of parallel league bouts. Initially the fourth round was set to take place in Mwingi but another faction led by interim secretary Isaac Mbote trooped to Kakamega for the bouts. Interim president John Kameta led his faction to Mwingi.
The Kakamega meet attracted ten teams including Mombasa, Githurai, Galaxy, Kenyatta, Nairobi, Kisumu, Posta, Thika and the Police.
On November 6 this year, Sports Dispute Tribunal and Sports Registrar moved to stop BAK elections that were due November 16 this year in Nairobi. Sports Dispute Tribunal ordered BAK to convene for a Special General Meeting (SGM) immediately to plan for the elections that must be held within 60 days from November 6, this year.
Anthony “Jamal” Otieno and Kennedy “Kentrak” Otieno are involved in a tight race to take over the BAK presidency from Kameta who will not be defending his seat.
