CS Murkomen, FKF elections board differ over Nick Mwendwa candidature
FKF Electoral Board Chairman Hesbon Owilla (left) presents an acknowledgement slip to FKF Presidential candidate Doris Petra and her running mate Nick Mwendwa on October 14, 2024 at Kandanda House in Nairobi.
What you need to know:
- Petra has deputised Mwendwa for the two terms that he has been at the helm of the federation. They were cleared to contest in the elections by the Electoral Board.
- “For as long as we are doing the FKF elections on enforcement of term limits, it is not tenable by law for a former president to run as vice president,” said Murkomen on Tuesday.
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Electoral Board chairman Hesbon Owilla has differed with Sports Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen over the candidacy of the outgoing FKF president Nick Mwendwa in the upcoming national elections, scheduled for December 7.
Murkomen had on Tuesday told the National Assembly’s Sports and Culture Committee that the law bars Mwendwa from vying as running mate to Doris Petra.
Petra has deputised Mwendwa for the two terms that he has been at the helm of the federation. They were cleared to contest in the elections by the Electoral Board.
“For as long as we are doing the FKF elections on enforcement of term limits, it is not tenable by law for a former president to run as vice president,” said Murkomen on Tuesday.
“Anyone who thinks there is absence of law in my opinion is misinterpreting the law… as long as we said that we will be having term limits, it is not possible, it is not neat, it is not nice and it is not even morally good to find yourself in a place of being a president and then tomorrow vice president. I think it is just black and white,” added the CS.
But speaking before the same committee Tuesday evening, Owilla said that the 2017 FKF Constitution allows Mwendwa to contest as running mate in the elections.
“Article 37 of FKF's Constitution is clear that the president, upon clearing his term, is free to run for any other seat,” said Owilla.
His statement was echoed by Christine Odhiambo, the legal officer of the National Assembly’s Sports and Culture Committee.
“The law allows Mwendwa to run for any position including the deputy,” said Odhaimbo who also cited Article 37 of the 2017 FKF Constitution.
Owila told the Committee that adequate measures have been put in place to ensure that the elections are credible, free, and fair.
“The board has already finished training returning officers ahead of the county elections that commence on the 9th of this month and the presidential polls,” he explained.
“I want to assure the Committee that fake delegates will no longer participate in the elections as it has been before.”
The Committee asked the Board to present to MPs a list of all delegates who will vote in the elections. Murkomen said the Ministry of Sports does not plan to interfere with the elections, other than ensuring that they are conducted.
Citing the powers vested in a Sports CS office to cancel elections that are not conducted legally, Murkomen urged the Committee to hold the Electoral Board accountable for conducting the elections in compliance with the law.
“You can put them (Electoral Board) to task to make sure that they are keeping with the law and help us to have good elections because the Minister (of Sports) has powers to disband whatever team has been established if the law has not been followed,” said the CS.
He added that plans were underway to relocate the Electoral Board from Kandanda House, Several presidential candidates have raised concerns over the independence of the board since they are operating from FKF's headquarters.
