By Omulo Okoth

Elections have a tendency of causing anger. Whether in politics, co-operative movement or sports, elections will forever infect fury and vindictiveness upon the protagonists and antagonists.

Some people will fight so hard for others in the hope of being rewarded in some undefined way. When this is not forthcoming, they will feel cheated.

Others will fight so hard against rivals. The end result is anybody’s guess. Some elections will invariably also expose marriages of conveniences.

After last week’s National Olympic Committee of Kenya (Nock) elections, a few battlefronts have opened. Athletics Kenya (AK) executive wants its Secretary-General, David Okeyo, who became second vice chairman unopposed, to relinquish one position.

We in the media have always maintained that in the absence of the Sports Bill, which regulates tenure of office, among other equally important proviso, chaos and wrangling in Kenyan sport will not end. More so on matters of elections, the incumbents will remain in office for eternity.

We also are categorical that one-man-one-association rule be implemented to check the tendency of officials wanting to be everywhere. This causes conflict of interest.

For instance, an official in a tennis association also sitting in the Kenya National Sports Council or Nock will almost invariably push the agenda of the affiliate while deliberating on issues in the umbrella body.

A Nock official also holding a position in a basketball federation, for instance, will articulate his/her association’s agenda more than the others who don’t enjoy similar privilege.

Now did I hear some people complain about the same after Nock elections? Did I hear them complain about skewed electoral rules, among others? The chicken have come home to roost.

Okeyo has been told in no uncertain terms to either remain in AK or Nock. Mheshimiwa Alfred Khang’ati (assistant minister in PM’s Office) smelt defeat and withdrew his candidature for first vice chairman’s post.

He then threatened to reveal some things to do with internal reforms he has kept to himself for years. I would urge him to speak out, and, in equal measure, explain why he chose to keep them under wraps for thus long.

Is he a conspirator in this game? Okeyo has apparently not contravened any known rules. An insider has told me the matter of Okeyo is so delicate because he apparently did not have his association’s blessing while chasing the Nock seat.

He says there was nothing wrong in getting nomination from a different association, basketball in this case, having been in Nock as a member.

AK boss Isaiah Kiplagat, too, nominated himself for an unspecified vice chairman’s seat before discussing with some members. He then cut some deal with Kip Keino, Nock supremo, which the latter does not want to discuss. Instead, Keino is talking about fair representation of sports bodies and ethnic balance in the umbrella body.

Which makes sense, but why didn’t he let Kiplagat know about this earlier? Having convinced Kiplagat to withdraw his candidature, if indeed he did, with a promise to nominate him for a seat whose occupant would be elected then retire, I read a big conspiracy here.

People are playing cards dangerously even in sports elections. Why have we sunk so low?

That Sports Bill some of them have fought so incessantly is the panacea for all these conspiracies. Hon Prof Helen Sambili, we have never needed this document more than now.

—The writer is The Standard’s Sports Editor

iomulo@eastandard.net