Part of aspirants uneasy with FKF elections roadmap

A section of Football Kenya Federation (FKF) presidential aspirants have raised questions over the federation's electoral released on Thursday.

Led by former Nyanza Region FKF National Executive Committee (NEC) member Tom Alila, the aspirants feel some of the events have been planned in such a way that aspirants will be disadvantaged.

According to the Electoral Board, the much-awaited national elections will be conducted on December 7 this year, preceded y the County polls that will be set for November 9.

Apart from the Electoral Board conducting their business from the FKF headquarters, Alila feels publishing the voters register for the national elections just weeks from the polls will be too late.

"I read mischief in the fact that they want to publish the final list of the delegates who will vote way late. Why do we have to wait until the last minute? Could it be a secret card for someone..." paused Alila.

“I’m not satisfied at all with the roadmap as released yesterday. The Election Board should not operate from Kandanda House, and move to Talanta Plaza as was mentioned by the Minister (Cabinet Secretary for Sports). For the elections to be free and fair then the board should operate from a neutral office. This is one of the ways of manipulating the elections and to me it will not work," Alila told Citizen Digital.

"The Minister put it clear that those who have served for two regimes are not eligible to vie, and the current president Nick Mwendwa and his office should obey that. As one of the presidential aspirants, that will not happen under our watch, they should obey and vacate the office in peace,” added Alila.

Another presidential aspirant Charles Njoroge echoed Alila's sentiments in a separate interview with Citizen Digital.

“The voters register should be published early enough to allow us the aspirants to campaign. It would be meaningless to campaign without the assurance that indeed the people you are talking to are indeed voters. Aspirants should also know early enough their eligibility to run, instead of pushing that vetting process towards the elections," he observed.

The final list of County and National candidates will be known on November 2, paving the way for the County Elections on November 9.

Publication of the 94 national delegates, who will be eligible to vote in the national elections, will be done on November 23, two weeks before the vote for the presidential candidates on December 7.

The Electoral Board also published the contents of the electoral code that will be followed by the candidates eyeing various positions.

Those eyeing the FKF top seat are required to have at least five endorsements from any of the FKF members, must have played an active role in football either as a player, member or an official of FKF in two of the last five years and must satisfy the requirements for leadership and integrity as per Chapter Six of the Kenyan Constitution.

“Candidates for the office of President and Vice-President shall have been in active football (registered as a NEC member, committee member, referee, assistant referee, coach trainer, and any other person responsible for technical, medical, or administrative matters in FKF, League, or Club, or as a player for two of the last five years before being proposed as a candidate).”

A number of aspirants who have expressed interest of succeeding FKF president Nick Mwendwa, including Alila, former Kenyan Premier League CEO Jack Oguda, Murang'a SEAL Vice Chairman Hussein Mohammed, Ex-Kenyan international Sammy ‘Kempes’ Owino, Gor Mahia Secretary General Sam Ocholla, former FKF boss Sam Nyamweya, Charles Njoroge among others.