Nyamweya accuses FKF rivals of using court cases to block December elections, warns of FIFA ban
Former FKF president Sam Nyamweya (C), flanked by fellow FKF presidential aspirants - from right: Tom Alila, Charles Njoroge, McDonald Mariga, Harold Ndege and Jack Oguda in a press briefing on October 3rd, 2024 in Nairobi. Photo by Caleb Muoti/ Citizen Digital
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Sam Keengu Nyamweya has accused some of his rivals in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) presidential race of attempting to block the December 7, 2024, election through legal action.
Speaking on Tuesday at a Nairobi hotel, Nyamweya, the former FKF president seeking another term at Kandanda House, claimed that cases filed with the Sports Disputes Tribunal are aimed at halting the election and could potentially lead to a FIFA ban.
He urged candidates with ongoing cases to withdraw them and join the election process for the benefit of Kenyan football.
“We have numerous cases in court, some valid and others not,” Nyamweya stated. “These cases won’t help now because the process is already in motion and unstoppable. I urge my colleagues to step back from the courts instead of wasting time on these disputes unless they’re truly pressing.”
Nyamweya warned that delaying the elections could have serious consequences.
“Anyone pursuing legal action at this stage aims to stop the elections. But if we delay, FIFA requires the elections to be held by December, or we risk another ban. This would jeopardize major plans, including hosting CHAN next year and our bid for AFCON 2027,” Nyamweya stated.
Among those challenging the election process are former FKF NEC member for Nyanza, Tom Alila, and presidential aspirant Sammy "Kempes" Owino.
Alila filed a case after submitting his credentials to the FKF Electoral Board, expressing concerns about the board’s composition and questioning the fairness of the process.
He highlighted that the current board members are not FKF members, as required by FKF and FIFA statutes, and raised concerns about the election timeframe, which is three months instead of the six months outlined by FIFA guidelines.
Meanwhile, Kempes has escalated his concerns to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, on similar grounds. The FKF Electoral Board is expected to release the final list of county and national candidates on November 2.
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