FKF DEFIES FIFA MAN: Niema accused of acting ultra vires, FKF still wants 18 clubs

From Left- Constitutional Implementation Committee Chairman Charles Nyachae, FKF Chairman Sam Nyamwea and Nairobi Businessman Abaga Sagero during Shabana Fundraising at Hotel SixEighty on Wednesday Night, December 10th, 2014. Photo/Jonah Onyango.

Kenyan football chiefs and a consultant sent by world ruling body, FIFA, have sharply disagreed on the composition of 2015 Kenyan Premier League (KPL).

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) top organ met on Monday and rejected recommendations by the independent expert consultant, Robert Nieman, sent to Kenya by Fifa to help iron out thorny issues that had threatened the start of the league. FKF said it will defy recommendations by the consultant and go ahead with plans for an expanded league.

FKF, KPL and FIFA met on December 19 where, Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke says, KPL and FKF requested Fifa to avail an independent expert consultant to assess the commercial, contractual and technical implications on the KPL and its participant clubs and whether the KPL should be increased from 16 to 18 clubs for the 2015 season.

Multiple sources who saw the report said the consultant preferred a 16-team KPL and not an expanded one. It also questioned the basis of promotion of Shabana FC and the club’s association with FKF President Sam Nyamweya.

Other matters in the report can only be deduced from a lengthy letter to Fifa Secretary general dated January 26, where FKF Secretary Michael Esakwa said the consultant, Robert Nieman over-stretched his mandate. Valcke’s letter, copied to African Football Confederation (CAF), urged FKF to share the correspondence with KPL, FKF Joint Executive Committee and FKF Technical Task Force. But the report, which drew the ire of FKF top organ, has been kept as top secret.

But the issues that apparently angered FKF can be deduced from points raised by Esakwa’s letter to Valcke. It accused the consultant of going beyond his mandate.

“He deviated from the two points and in doing so overstepped his mandate blatantly distorting facts and wrongly diagnosed the problem in his mission,” said Esakwa.

“The distortion that FKF unilaterally increased the teams from 16 to 18 and that the increase is motivated by political fights between FKF and KPL is blatant distortion of material facts and shallow.
“The current position is that the increase from 16 to 18 teams is based on a strategic plan of June 2013 brought before Annual General Meeting on June 28, 2013 and was adopted,” adds Esakwa.

“The insinuation that the President of FKF influenced promotion of Shabana is an affront to the president’s character and integrity on his standing in society. The FKF NEC reaffirms that the president was not and has never been part of the bodies that run the league. Therefore, the allegations is misplaced and in bad faith.

“The consultant erred in claiming that KPL was not present in the AGM of 2013 and that the Strategic plan was not mentioned in the minites of the AGM.

FKF says it will go ahead with the dialogue process in a bid to increase the number of teams to 18.

“Furthermore, any contract entered into by KPL purporting to sell media and sponsorship rights is null and void and is tantamount to obtaining money by false pretence,” he said.

KPL official George Odhiambo said they are shocked by the stand taken by FKF and fears it could jeopardise the negotiations.

“We had an agreement to adhere to the consultant’s recommendations and if one party backs out then we are concerned that anything we agree on with them in future may not be binding on them,” he said.


 

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