Football stakeholders urge FKF to withdraw court cases to avoid FIFA ban
Football stakeholders on Wednesday, March 27, said despite Fifa’s warning of another suspension of Kenyan football, the only cure to the current wrangles is a free and fair Football Kenya Federation election.
FKF presidential candidates Hussein Mohamed, former president Sam Nyamweya, the Nairobi County Football Association and a referee.
Awilo Marori said the first way out of the impasse was for all courts to follow the law to ensure a free and fair election.
On Wednesday, Fifa issued a stern letter to the FKF warning that Kenya could be banned again after its AGM, due to be held on 16 March, was stopped by the Mombasa High Court.
Journalist Milton Nyakundi went to court to challenge the legality of the AGM, saying those involved had been removed from office by a gazette notice in July 2022.
Mohamed said in order to avoid the looming Fifa ban, urgent and deliberate efforts are needed by all stakeholders to ensure that free and fair FKF elections are held as soon as possible.
“I fear that the current impasse will inevitably plunge the game back into the depths of anarchy we have never seen before. It’s time to say enough is enough with the mismanagement of our beautiful game,” said Mohamed.
Nyamweya said as a veteran football administrator he knew how Fifa reacts to football matters and Kenya was indeed treading a dangerous path.
“FKF took the Sports Dispute Tribunal to Mombasa and Kiambu to get gagging orders and they were also taken to court. Let us withdraw all the cases because it is against the Fifa statutes,” said Nyamweya.
“The big issue of Mwendwa wanting to stand for a third term is nonsense because he is ineligible. Let the law be followed and a free and fair election is held,” the veteran football administrator added.
Marori called on Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba to engage FIFA directly to come up with a normalisation committee or a permanent solution before Kenya is suspended.
“FKF should withdraw the Kiambu and Mombasa High Court cases so that they can proceed with the AGM,” Marori said.
“What they are afraid of is that the SDT will proceed with the contempt of court ruling which has a high chance of confirming their removal from office and ordering the CS for Sports to form a committee in accordance with Article 54 of the Sports Act 2013 and the culprits could be jailed for six months for defying court orders,” he added.
Bandari vice-chairman and veteran football administrator Twaha Mbarak had earlier said the best solution was to form a normalisation committee that would draw up a roadmap for an all-inclusive FKF election.