Chaos in Kenyan football circles gets murkier as trio sues SDT
What you need to know:
- Mwendwa and his team are accused of continuing to perform their duties despite an earlier SDT ruling indicating their respective term of office had expired.
The chaos within local football circles got murkier on Tuesday after two Kenyan Premier League players moved to court to challenge the rules and procedure governing the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT).
And at the SDT, chairman John Ohaga convened the hearing of a case via video link, in which Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Nick Mwendwa, general secretary Barry Otieno and members of the federation's National Executive Committee (NEC) have been cited for contempt of an earlier ruling.
Mwendwa and his team are accused of continuing to perform their duties despite an earlier SDT ruling indicating their respective term of office had expired.
Otieno was also put to task over a letter he reportedly penned to Fifa requesting for "protection" and advising the Zurich based body to ignore a ruling by the SDT.
While announcing he will rule on this case on May 21, Ohaga has also directed that a meeting be held between stakeholders aimed at planning for the federation polls which he has twice cancelled.
Meanwhile, in a petition before the High Court of Kenya in Kericho, Kepha Ondati and Bernard Odhiambo, both attached to top flight side Zoo and FKF official Alfred Kirui sought orders to quash the SDT rules.
The trio has sued Attorney General Paul Kihara, Sports Cabinet Secreatry Amina Mohamed, Chief Justice David Maraga and Ohaga.
"The SDT has no rules of engagement and my clients have a right to pursue justice," said the trio's lawyer Ken Ochieng, who incidentally also owns Zoo football club.
He dismissed the notion that the players and FKF official could be banned for taking football matters to the commercial courts, as it contravenes Fifa laws.
The petitioners also accused Ohaga of assuming legislative duty by enacting and applying rules against the provisions of the Sports Act 2013. They asked the court to not only set aside all previous SDT rulings, but also be barred from further proceedings using the same rules.
The local football scene has been marred by a myriad of court battles since last December, a time that coincides with the electioneering period.
