Just who doesn’t want the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) to go to the polls?
That is the question being asked as NOC-K’s Elective Congress, now scheduled for June 19, 2025, faces at least five legal challenges—three at the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) and two in the High Court.
The elections were initially slated for April 24 but were postponed following a High Court ruling that allowed four federations—Kenya Taekwondo Federation (KTF), Kenya Triathlon Federation, Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF), and Kenya Handball Federation (KHF)—to participate in the process.
On the morning of the scheduled election day, Milimani High Court Judge Bahati Mwamuye ruled that the four federations must be allowed to vote.
Despite the ruling, the Elective Congress gave the federations time to determine whether their presidents or secretary generals would cast the vote. However, they failed to agree, leading to another adjournment.
Mwamuye later revoked his own orders on April 28, accusing the petitioners of failing to disclose two previous SDT rulings that had permitted the elections to proceed under specific conditions.
A case filed by KTF and 11 other federations was mentioned last week and is set for hearing in August. Meanwhile, all other SDT matters are expected to be determined before the end of this week.
The NOC-K Executive Committee has withheld the formal announcement of new election dates, citing the passing of committee member and Kenya Basketball Federation chairman Paul Otula on May 1. Otula was buried last Friday in Karachuonyo, Homa Bay County.
KVF president Charles Nyaberi, KHF chairman Francis Paul, and KTF president Joycelene Nyambura have each filed separate petitions at the SDT, seeking to be declared the sole voting representatives of their respective federations.
In KVF’s case, the board had chosen Moses Mbuthia—vying for NOC-K treasurer—to carry the vote. Nyaberi, however, nominated himself. Insiders say a “gentleman’s agreement” had been reached between KVF and Mbuthia, who was left out of the Malkia Strikers’ Paris Olympics management team last year.
Nyaberi’s attempt to replace Malkia’s team manager with himself was quashed after Mududa Waweru successfully challenged the move at the SDT, securing the right to travel to Paris.
Nyaberi now supports Mududa's bid for women’s representative in Shadrack Maluki’s camp. Paul also backs Maluki, who is vying for the NOC-K presidency.
Gikaria, aligned with Francis Mutuku’s camp, is running for an executive committee post and is also in contention to carry the KHF vote—something Paul is challenging at SDT.
In the Triathlon federation, internal divisions have emerged after Nyambura backed out of running for the executive committee under Maluki’s ticket. Her federation’s executive, led by secretary general Salonik Ole Koyiet, now supports Ole Koyiet to represent them.
Meanwhile, the Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) has contested the inclusion of Squash Kenya in the NOC-K elections, arguing that the Kenya Sports Racquet Association (KSRA) is the recognised body, not Squash Kenya.
KHU chairman Nashon Randiek, who is running for second deputy president, is aligned with Maluki’s team, while Squash Kenya is in Mutuku’s camp.
NOC-K’s constitution mandates that elections be held by April 30, but legal injunctions from both the SDT and High Court delayed the process.
The Kenya Fencing Federation (KFF) has since filed a case at the SDT, asking for the current NOC-K leadership to be declared illegal, as their mandate expired on that date.
At the High Court, Sumba—a candidate for the executive committee—has challenged the decision by NOC-K Returning Officer Muthee Gakuru and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to bar him from the process.
The main issue at the heart of these legal disputes is delegate eligibility. Confusion stems from differences between the NOC-K Constitution and the 2025 Elections Rules and Regulations.
The election rules state that both the federation president and secretary general must jointly designate the voting delegate, while NOC-K’s Constitution allows the vote to be valid if signed by either party.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has also weighed in, stating that either the chairperson or president should carry the vote.
On the morning of the initial election, acting SDT Chairperson Njeri Onyango allowed the process to continue but directed that the issue of delegate eligibility be addressed by the Elective Congress itself.
However, Njeri had halted the process on the eve of the election following a petition by 14 federations, led by the Kenya Table Tennis Association (KTTA), challenging the legitimacy of the delegate list.
