Shikanda convenes crisis talks over AFC Leopards postponed election

AFC Leopards chairman Dan Shikanda has called for a crisis meeting with club aspirants on Wednesday evening to chat the way forward, following the Sports Registrar’s decision to postpone the club’s elections by a year.

Registrar Rose Wasike deferred the elections, initially set for June 29, citing the Sports Act, 2013, which mandates a four-year term for elected officials. She clarified that the current office's tenure legally extends to June 2026, not 2025, as initially assumed by the club leadership.

“We will have a meeting today with all aspirants and the election board to deliberate over the matter. According to the club constitution, the current office was meant to be the final one before we transition into a new regime under the 2013 Sports Act. I think there are people here who are not getting it right on this issue,” stated Shikanda.

However, Shikanda argues that the current office, elected in June 2022 for a three-year term, was intended to serve as the last under the previous structure, before the four-year term system kicks in for the next leadership cycle under the Sports Act, 2023.

Several aspirants had already kicked off their campaigns for the chairman’s seat, anticipating the now-postponed elections.

The deferred elections would have seen fierce battle for the top seat between former AFC Leopards player, Boniface Ambani, former CEO Ronald Namai and ex- Marketing Director Enos Mutoka, to succeed Shikanda who has now led the club for six years since 2019.

Shikanda revealed that he would seek a meeting with the Registrar to reaffirm the club's intention to proceed with elections on June 29.

“I will seek an audience with the Registrar to remind her that our elections are set for June 29 next month. We have not postponed elections and so I am forced to cut-short my engagements to return to Nairobi to have this meeting,” Shikanda said.

Shikanda has meanwhile distanced himself from reports that he is behind the election delay, insisting they are ready to hand over power.

“We have done everything and according to the club constitution which is on the registrar’s desk, our term is only for three years and not four. The incoming office will start a fresh term limit of four years and we are very much ready to hand over power next month,” he asserted.