Let’s have nothing less than credible and fair FKF polls

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) is supposed to conduct elections before the expiry of its term next month. Previous branch polls held were nullified by the Sports Disputes Tribunal last month. Indeed, they were done in a cheeky manner.

The Tribunal cancelled the national elections that were scheduled for December 7 after determining that FKF’s Electoral Board chaired by Edwin Wamkukoya as improperly constituted.

The Tribunal ruled that Elynah Shiveka was not eligible to sit on the board, there was no public and stakeholder participation. The candidates running in the election were not eligible.

Although FKF president Nick Mwendwa was not happy with the ruling, he promised to respect it. Having said that, FKF went silent. We don’t hear anything about the polls.

The international football governing body Fifa through its Governance Services Manager, Sarah Solemale, stated the elections must be held before the current term of FKF officials expires.

The FKF's Electoral Code was challenged at the Sports Tribunal. Opponents said it formed the basis for the cancellation of the polls. Solemale said part of her delegation’s mandate was to ensure FKF understands the binding Electoral Code set by Fifa.

FKF was ordered to go through its code again and amend any changes that the Sports Tribunal demanded.

We know how elections are done in this country and how crafty people become when they want to win by any means. Confidence among football stakeholders is fast waning. You could see that during a press conference by football stakeholders held last Friday at a Nairobi hotel.

The stakeholders want the FKF elections to start from the grassroots to the national level and that all clubs registered with the Sports Registrar should be allowed to participate in the polls.

They also demand that clubs be licensed afresh prior to the elections and that three officials of each club be allowed to vote to ensure accountability. Lastly, they want the 2016 FKF constitution be registered with the Sports Registrar.

The stakeholders said that their demands should be looked into if credible elections are to be held. They also stated that if these basic requirements were not met, the polls would be invalid.

A case on a similar matter is still pending in court, contrary Fifa rules. We shall see its outcome but for the moment, those tasked with organising the elections must look into the concerns raised by the stakeholders who include former footballers in this country.

We have had two shoddy decades in the management of football; we have had enough!