Stakeholders push for FKF Normalization Committee amid growing unrest

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Stakeholders push for FKF Normalization Committee amid growing unrest

Festus Chuma 12:40 - 10.05.2024

Local sports stakeholders push for a Normalization Committee to replace the beleaguered Football Kenya Federation amid internal disputes.

When local sports stakeholders gathered at Kenya Institute Of Curriculum Development in Nairobi on Thursday the beleaguered Football Kenya Federation (FKF) found itself under intense scrutiny. 

The meeting convened by National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) president Paul Tergat was aimed at fostering dialogue among concerned stakeholders and charting a way forward.

The gathering concluded with a firm proposal to dissolve the FKF and replace it with a Normalization Committee. 

The aim is to bring order to the governance of Kenyan football and address the myriad issues plaguing the federation. 

Former officials, including past FKF president Sam Nyamweya, former KFF vice president Twaha Mbarak, and others, offered insights and advice on the best path forward.

In a joint statement released after the meeting, the stakeholders emphasized the urgency of the situation.

 "The meeting aimed to address the legal disputes, internal conflicts, and other issues affecting the FKF. We all agreed on the formation of a Normalization Committee because of the legality and legitimacy of FKF," the statement reads as per The Star.

Participants noted that the FKF National Executive Committee (NEC) had been expelled from office according to the federation's statutes. 

Despite losing a high court case that challenged their removal, stakeholders argued that the NEC had not been properly reinstated.

The forum expressed dismay at the FKF's inability to provide a clear timeline for the upcoming elections and called into question the federation's credibility in delivering a fair electoral process. 

"Elections are supposed to be held by October, and the FKF constitution dictates that the electoral board should be in place at least six months prior. It’s already five months past due," the statement adds.

 "Nobody can trust FKF to do credible elections because they are compromised to the electoral code, electoral board, voters register, and dates of elections."

Several participants pointed to the 2020 Electoral Code which they described as controversial and inherently disadvantageous to some aspirants. Yet, the FKF insists on using this code, further eroding stakeholder confidence in the fairness of the upcoming elections.

To ensure a credible process, stakeholders proposed that the Normalization Committee should be formed through NOCK and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), where FIFA is an affiliated member. 

The meeting included a diverse group of attendees, such as AFC Leopards SC chairman Dan Shikanda, former FKF CEO Lovick Aduda, former caretaker committee member Ali Amour, journalist Milton Nyakundi, and Sammy Owino Kempes.

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