By Omulo Okoth

What has been simmering beneath the surface seems to have burst. The uneasy calm in Football Kenya Federation (FKF) seems to have reached a dead end.

Some peoples’ patience have snapped. It is not uncommon for some FKF top National Executive Committee (NEC) member to claim lack of transparency and accountability only to change the tune.

However, that does not mean an absence of contentious issues in the body. They just don’t spring out of the blue.

Since the suspensions of senior vice-chairman Sammy Shollei and Nairobi FKF Chairman Dan Shikanda, which were followed by the resignation of Chief Executive Officer, Lodvick Aduda, there seemed to exist something akin to absolute authority being exercised by chairman Sam Nyamweya.

Hussein Terry, the NEC member for Coast province, has been a steadfast supporter of Nyamweya’s. Just what prompted this ever-smiling young man to break what appeared to be a truce to speak the way he did on Tuesday in the company of NEC member for Nyanza Province, Tom Alila, Doris Petra and Angeline Elijah?

There was palpable anger among the group. For Alila to take on the chairman is not surprising, given his abrasive nature.

The duo, who was former comrades, has lately had not-too-rosy relatioship.

 But for the others to display the kind of bravado to demand a meeting “to address important matters affecting the federation” took many observers by surprise. Keen observers, however, were not surprised by the turn of events.

It was only a matter of time. Word leaked during Harambee Stars ordeal in Nigeria that certain things were not done the way thery ought to have been.

Although Stars pulled a surprise draw in Calabar, their ordeal left a sour taste on the mouths of many Kenyans, who thought FKF should have handled it better.

Terry was supposed to say more after the NEC meeting of Wednesday, but this did not happen. According to insiders, part of his demands, and that of other NEC members, were met, which kind of cooled them down.

However, another battle front was opened in Terry’s backyard when an official who has not seen eye to eye with Terry, and Nyamweya by extension, emerged to support the latter and said they were ready to work with the national office. He blamed Terry for all the problems in the branch.

Another group spoke in support of Terry and blamed Nyamweya for the problems bedevilling the branch.

In a nutshell, FKF team work is in a shambles. Like the Igbo of Nigeria say, a toad does not run in broad daylight without a cause.

There seems to bigger issues to address within FKF. The call for an Annual General Meeting to confirm and fill certain positions seems only to be the ears of a rhino. The real body in still beneath the surface. We shall wait with bated breadth for what will emerge in coming days.

And on that note, I am looking forward to the setting up of the Sports Dispute Tribunal, which is set to be established as the Sports Act 2013 takes shape.

The kind of disputes in FKF are a banal in other federations. Take Kwon Do, Athletics, Judo, name them, are all beset with disputes. The tribunal will be run by a Judge of the High Court and judicial officers will be seconded there.

Sports disputes will no longer have to go to courts of law, which has been the stage to tear one another in the past.

Litigants will also have a channel for their grievances on matters to do with accountability, governance, policy, gender and legal matters.

The ‘Big Man’ syndrome, which crystalises in absolute authority in some federations will be a thing of the past. This syndrome has compromised transparency and accountability are likely to be compromised.

Strict governance rules, complete with internal dispute resolution, should be put in place for all federations, such that broaching the Sports Dispute Tribunal should only be the last resort.

— The writer is The Standard Sports Editor iomulo@standardmedia.co.ke