MPs direct NOC-K to hold elections within 14 days

The NOC-K elections’ dilemma hit a crescendo on June 19 after a High Court sitting in Eldoret pulled the plug by further postponing the polls after a petition was filed by Andrew Mudibo of the Kenya Table Tennis Association and three others.

The Committee Chairman Dan Wanyama accused some officials in the outgoing regime of orchestrating a plan to extend their reign at NOC-K through backdoor means.

The MPs directed for the use of the initial list of candidates and delegates in the elections while dismissing the amended list which was to be used after Mudibo was barred by the Sports Disputes Tribunal from participating in the polls.

Just hours to the elections on June 19, SDT locked out Mudibo­—who is under Shadrack Maluki camp—from contesting for the Secretary General post as his parent federation, KTTA, was not a legally registered association and could not nominate him for the post.

“The endless legal battles must come to an end. It is the responsibility of the candidates to allow a fair election to take place.”

“These disputes are hurting sports development in the country. Stop sending people to go to court on your behalf. No one from outside is interfering with this process. It's just you (current officials),” Wanyama said when the NOC-K officials appeared before the Sports Committee.

Wanyama, who is also a Member of Parliament for Webuye West, emphasized that all legally registered sports federations under the Sports Act 2013, must be allowed to vote in the elections and called on the candidates to respect the process.

“All registered federations should be allowed to take part in the upcoming election. Stop trying to lock out other federations from voting, they have also registered with the registrar of sports federations.”

Jackson Kosgei, who is a member of the committee, accused the two camps —Team New Dawn led by Shadrack Maluki and Francis Mutuku’s Service Team­—of using the courts to delay the polls.

Maluki, who is the first vice-president, is locked in a tight contest against outgoing Secretary General Mutuku to succeed Paul Tergat.

The polls were initially scheduled for April 23 but did not take place after four federations — Kenya Triathlon Federation (KTF), Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF), Kenya Handball Federation (KHF), Taekwondo Federation of Kenya (TFK) —failed to agree on who among their officials were to carry their votes for each one of them.