SGM DATE FINALLY SET: Renegade team invokes AK Constitution, invites President Kiplagat to meeting

FROM LEFT: Athletics Kenya officials Peter Angwenyi, Barnaba Korir and Jonathan Koskei. [PHOTO/DENNIS OKEYO/STANDARD]

Athletics Kenya's 14 renegade affiliates have called for a Special General Meeting (SGM) on November 14 at Riadha House.

The move came after AK President Isaiah Kiplagat failed to beat the 21-day notice they gave to convene a SGM in which 14 of the 16 affiliates asked for.

"We had given him (Kiplagat) until October 31 but now that he has declared his intentions not to listen to us, we have decided to call for an SGM on November 14 at Riadha House at 10am. The President (Isaiah Kiplagat) will chair the meeting as provided in the AK Constitution," Paul Mutwii, a member of the renegade team, said after the meeting MotorSports Restaurant in South C in Nairobi yesterday.

Mutwii, the AK Vice President, went on: "We are inviting even Kiplagat to the meeting and we are vesting the management of AK, which lies squarely on the CEO, to put everything in order for the meeting. We will do the meeting in Riadha House as provided in the AK Constitution. We are still formulating the agenda for the meeting which is basically on the management affairs issues of AK."

Present at the meeting were affiliate chairmen Jonathan Koskei (Kenya Police), Peter Angwenyi (Nyanza South), Barnaba Korir (Nairobi), Joseph Kinyua (Eastern), Mutwii (Southern) and former athletes Billy Konchella and Stephen ole Marai.

Koskei said they will exploit all requisite legal requirements –especially the Kenya Constitution and AK Constitution –to help "pinpoint the shortcomings in AK management and set the reform agenda."

"When we talk of athletics, we do not go beyond the mandate of AK as stipulated in the Constitution. We are calling on athletes who want to come and listen to it," said Koskei.

He said Kiplagat should chair the SGM but the Constitution provides that one of his deputies can stand in for him.

The group, however, said they decided to have Riadha House as the venue for the meeting as provided for in the AK Constitution.

Article 5.4. (g) provides the right to use and have access to facilities, resources, programmes and the intellectual property rights of the Federation in accordance with terms agreed by the Executive.

While calling for the SGM, the group invoked Article 10.2 (c and d) which states: "A Special General Meeting may be convened for any specific purpose by the Executive Committee. Notice in writing shall be sent to all members seven days before the date .... A Special General Meeting may be convened if requested for a specific purpose by order in writing to the secretary general of not less than one-third of members and such meetings shall be held within 21 days of the date of the request."

In their notice letter through Kwengu and Company Advocates, the group compelled Kiplagat to respond to a number of issues that include schedule for payment of allowances to the Administration Police Officers hired to guard Riadha House and copies of resolutions authorising their deployment and payment of their allowances.