The essence of an election in any organisation is to give all interested parties equal chances of presenting themselves before the electorate who vote to pick their most preferred candidate for the posts in question.
While it is in order to have a committee to vet interested candidates for the various posts, it is also imperative to give all candidates equal opportunities during such elections.
It is not fair for the National Olympics Committee of Kenya (Nock) to knock out names of those who have shown interest in various posts in favour of other contestants.
As Noc-K elections approach, there have been Press reports that Athletics Kenya (AK) Chairman Isaiah Kiplagat is crying foul over Noc-K’s move to lock his candidature for the second vice-chairman’s post, only for another AK senior official, who has been serving as a Nock executive committee member, to be picked unopposed.
The practice of handpicking candidates for certain posts beats the logic of democracy and should not be encouraged in a democratic organisation as Nock claims to be. It implies Noc-K elections are skewed with a constitution which only serves its interests and not sports.
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The running of local sports associations should be open to all qualified individuals because it is only then that it can attract the best crop of officials. Forcing contestants to back down in favour of others may lead to ugly wars at Nock that are common in local sports associations.
Our good run at the Olympics will be jeopardised if we go down this route.
