Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Nick Mwendwa faces ineligibility for a third term, as affirmed by Sports Registrar Rose Wasike in a comprehensive four-page missive to the Federation.
The letter also decrees that Deputy President Dorris Petra and other National Executive Council members, including Muriithi Nabea, Joseph Andere, and Enos Kweya, cannot contest in their current roles after serving two terms.
Mwendwa, contemplating a third term to compensate for the lost time during the federation’s disbandment in late 2021 and the majority of 2022, now confronts the regulatory barrier imposed by Wasike. She explicitly states that officials with two terms under their belt, including Mwendwa, are barred from seeking a third term as per the Sports Act.
Quoting from the letter, Wasike emphasizes, “The role of the officials whose terms have expired will be to ensure that FKF elections are held according to the constitution of Kenya 2010, the Sports Act, Sports Registrar regulations, and any other relevant law and thereafter hand the office to the newly elected officials.”
The Sports Act, which mandates a four-year term with one additional term of four years for elected officials, will render the current FKF officials ineligible for the upcoming elections, scheduled to conclude by July 29, 2024.
Efforts by the federation to challenge this decision at the Sports Disputes Tribunal were categorically rejected. The letter underscores the importance of adhering to legal requirements, warning of potential consequences, including the rejection or cancellation of election results if guidelines are flouted.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba recently issued a stern directive, emphasizing the government’s commitment to upholding the law in sports governance. Namwamba warned that federations failing to comply could face bans from international governing bodies. He asserted, “If it takes your discipline being suspended so that you can follow the law, we will allow you to be suspended.
“If it takes you to be banned for one to three years so that we can clean you up, we will, because, at the end of the day, we will not compromise national interests because you are threatening us with a ban from some international federations.” Namwamba urged federations to adhere to the Sports Act, emphasizing the importance of respecting the constitution of Kenya in their operations.
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