CS Murkomen: Mwendwa cannot vie for FKF top seat
FKF Vice president Dorris Petra (right) and president Nick Mwendwa arrive at Kandanda House in Nairobi on October 14, 2024 to present their papers for their joint ticket for the FKF presidential elections
What you need to know:
- The incumbent president, who has served two four-year terms, has been cleared by the FKF Electoral Board to be the running mate of Doris Petra who is gunning for the president’s post. Petra has deputised Mwendwa for the two terms that he has been at the helm of the federation.
- “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.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has said that Football Kenya Federation (FKF) outgoing president Nick Mwendwa is not eligible to vie for a top seat in the upcoming national elections scheduled for December 7.
Murkomen told the National Assembly’s Sports and Culture Committee, Tuesday that the law bars Mwendwa from running.
The incumbent president, who has served two four-year terms, has been cleared by the FKF Electoral Board to be the running mate of Doris Petra who is gunning for the president’s post. Petra has deputised Mwendwa for the two terms that he has been at the helm of the federation.
“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.
“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,” the Sports CS said.
Mwendwa has come under sharp criticism from football stakeholders over his decision to seek a third term in office as vice president.
Brimming with confidence about being re-elected, Mwendwa expressed joy after successfully submitting their nomination papers to the Electoral Board at Kandanda House on October 14.
“We are a team of first, not many people can accept to be vice president after serving as president. There has never been a difference in our team and what he had to make sure of was that our team was intact everywhere in the country. Our opponents have no votes,” he asserted on that day.
In an 18-page letter to the FKF Electoral Board dated October 11, 2024, Sports Registrar Rose Wasike said the insistence by some FKF officials to seek a third term in office, despite having served two four-year terms called for investigations and the said individuals barred from vying for the same or different positions.
She copied the letter to Murkomen, Sports Principal Secretary Peter Tum, and the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) chairman John Ohaga.
Murkomen said the Ministry of Sports does not plan to interfere with the elections, other than ensuring that they are conducted transparently.
Citing the powers vested in his office to cancel elections that are not conducted legally, Murkomen urged the National Assembly’s Sports and Culture 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 has powers to disband whatever team has been established if the law has not been followed,” said Murkomen.
He added that the Ministry of Sports, through the Sports Registrar’s Office, has submitted a verified list of FKF clubs to the Electoral Board and set strict compliance checks as per the Sports Act, ensuring that candidates meet regulatory standards.
“Our commitment to accountability in sports governance remains firm. These steps are crucial for building public trust and ensuring integrity in Kenya’s sports leadership,” added the CS.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Abdi, a candidate for the FKF Garissa County Branch Chairman has criticised the Electoral Board for excluding the eligible clubs in the county from the final voter register that was published on Saturday.
The Electoral Board said they took the step because of a pending appeal before the SDT. Abdi has called for the immediate reinstatement of 25 clubs in the county in the final voter register.
He has also asked the Electoral Board to ensure the county elections scheduled for this Saturday are transparent, fair, and accountable.
