It’s decision time at the national football body FKF

The next president of Football Kenya Federation will be voted into office Wednesday in eagerly anticipated national elections slated for the Safaricom Indoor Arena, Nairobi, from 10am.

Positions up for grabs include that of the FKF president, deputy president and eight National Executive Committee (NEC) members, each to represent the former provinces, although the regions have since been abolished in the current national Constitution.

Wednesday’s elections, which come after a long drawn-out process which has seen them postponed several times, will be conducted by Football Kenya Federation’s Electoral Board and the Institute of Education and Democracy during the FKF special general meeting. They will also be the culmination of three months of elections that have included voting at the sub-branch and branch levels since November.

Outgoing president Sam Nyamweya is seeking re-election. The long-serving sports administrator will, however, be up against five other candidates – Nick Mwendwa, Ambrose Rachier, Evans Gor Ssemelang’o, Sammy Sholei and Ssemi Aina.

To observe the exercise will be four officials from the world football governing body Fifa, including Head of Associations Primo Carvaro, alongside Southern and Eastern (Africa) regional development officer Ashford Mamelodi. Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario, Principal Secretary Richard Ekai and Kenya’s Sports Commissioner Gordon Oluoch will also be in attendance.

“Everything is in place,” FKF Electoral Board’s spokesperson Steve Mburu told Daily Nation Sport on Tuesday. “We have been offered adequate security by the OCPD Kasarani.”

But he warned: “Those with no business at Kasarani should not bother showing up at the venue.”

Electoral Board secretary Irene Tindi said all the logistics were in place. She said: “Everything is set and we expect the exercise to go on smoothly.

“We have mobilised security and the officers should be sufficient. We are anticipating to finish by 4pm so as to give way to vote counting and speeches. We are however flexible and the programme could extend beyond that.”

77 DELEGATES TO VOTE

The responsibility of electing new officials will fall on 77 delegates who were cleared to vote by the Electoral Board. This number is however one short of the 78 provided for in the FKF constitution. 

The delegates will consist two officials from each of the 20 FKF branches, a representative from each of the 16 (top flight) Kenyan Premier League clubs, six (second-tier) FKF Premier League clubs, six (third division) National Super League clubs, six (fourth division) FKF National Division One clubs, as well as a representative each from the national associations of players, referees and coaches.

“It is now or never for Kenyan football,” national senior football team Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama, who plies his professional trade in England, said Tuesday. “We deserve a stronger and better leadership to offer hundreds of my colleagues and friends opportunities to showcase their talent.

“This is sort of a fresh start. I am afraid we have fallen quite far behind our competitors and the new office needs to work very hard to bring us at par with them.”

According to Mburu, every delegate will be offered three ballot papers, each with the names of the aspirants for the president, deputy president and NEC member positions.

The outright winner in the NEC elections will be declared the winner. However, for the presidency and deputy presidency, the winning candidate must garner the 50 per cent-plus-one threshold or 40 votes out of a possible 77 as per the FKF constitution.

“If this fails to happen, there will be a run-off involving the top three candidates,” Mburu confirmed.

Pundits and observers consider Nyamweya, Kariobangi Sharks chairman Mwendwa and the chairman of reigning KPL champions Gor Mahia, Rachier, the frontrunners in the presidential race. This is largely due to the trio’s networks within the football and political circles, deep pockets and vibrant campaigns that they have carried out over the past three months, activities which were going on Tuesday evening.

“Change is coming to town,” the youthful Mwendwa, a majority of whose lieutenants triumphed in the branch elections, said on Tuesday. “The time for fresh leadership that will change the face of football is here.”

WORK CUT OUT

The next president of Kenyan football has his work cut out for him because of several challenges facing the country’s most popular sport. Among them is frosty relations between the outgoing office, the government and football fans, which has led to a consistent decline in standards over the past decade.

Kenya is ranked 99th out of 206 Fifa member associations and the national football team has failed to qualify for the continental showpiece, the Africa Cup of Nations, for more than a decade.

The FKF head will, upon receiving the instruments of power and a secret communication from the Fifa officials present, wield a lot of political and international influence while presiding over an estimated Sh1 billion budget received from the global body’s annual grants, gate collections, sponsorship and state support.

The new football boss is also expected to play a crucial role alongside the government in putting up the estimated Sh12 billion government project of staging the African Nations Championship (Chan) football competition in 2018. 

Kenya was handed the hosting rights for this event by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) in 2014 with Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario collecting the mandate from the continental body in Rwanda last weekend. Wario says the government will build two stadiums – in Nairobi and Eldoret – and refurbish other facilities in readiness for the event.

Vying for the deputy president’s position are incumbent Robert Asembo, Doris Petra, Twaha Mbarak, Hussein Swaleh Hussein aka Hussein Terry and Dan Shikanda.

In a separate interview with Daily Nation Sport, Mwendwa expressed optimism that he will carry the day.

“We started this (campaign) almost a year ago and have put in a lot of time and effort,” he said. “We expect to win and win convincingly.”

Rachier also exuded confidence in winning the presidency, saying: “The way the battle is shaping up.
“It may turn out to be a two-horse race (between me and Mwendwa). One of us is likely to win. “I believe I have a good chance of winning. It’s a matter of wait and see. I think I’m going to win but it’s not easy.”

Nyamweya, however, declined to comment.

NICK MWENDWA

DOB: January 29, 1979

POB: Makueni

Age: 37

Educational background: Diploma in IT

Marital Status: Married with two children

He’s an IT expert in Nairobi. He’s also the Kariobangi Sharks FC chairman, a second-tier football team featuring in the FKF Premier League.

He has a deep understanding of football matters and is recognised as one of the people to have openly differed with and taken on Sam Nyamweya on football matters, with some success.

He however lacks the experience of management at national level and is also known to get emotional very fast, especially towards those of a different opinion. Has promised to set up structures that will uplift the standards of football in Kenya to the international football.

AMBROSE RACHIER

DOB: Dec 1, 1949

Age: 66

POB: Molo

Education background: - Masters degree in Law; Masters degree in French-English translation

Married status: Married with seven children

A respected legal mind in Kenya. He is best remembered for being part of the team that represented Cord during the 2013 General Election petition at the Supreme Court. He has also been the Chairman of Gor Mahia FC for the past decade. 

His success stories include returning the team to winning ways - by winning among others, three consecutive league titles, helping the team purchase a bus, forming a Secretariat, and wooing the large fan base. His critics say he is a hands-off boss, who rarely has time for football. He is also on the spot for failing to curb hooliganism associated with Gor Mahia.

SAM NYAMWEYA

DOB: June 19, 1953

POB: Kisii

Profession: Accountant

Marital Status: Married with six children

A long serving football administrator with two decades-plus experience in management of the game.

He is known to have deep political connections, formed during his active role in the Youth for Kanu (YK 92) group in which he served prominently alongside current Deputy President William Ruto and another politician, Cyrus Jirongo.

His four-year reign has been dogged by several controversies, including wrangles, infighting, poor performance by Harambee Stars and poor relationship with the Government, Fifa, at times CAF, and the public. He should however be credited with securing Kenya the opportunity the hosting for the Africa Nations Championship (Chan) tournament in 2018.