The management of the upmarket Three Steers Hotel in Meru plans to sue for damages after police and suspected goons disrupted the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Special General Meeting in Meru County.
Police officers allegedly from outside Meru County fired tear gas canisters as preparations for the meeting were on course as chaos rocked the event, before order was eventually restored.
Some of the delegates were still in their rooms when police and a group of youth gained entry to the hotel at Makutano in North Imenti, a few kilometres from Meru Town.
County Commissioner George Omollo, accompanied by Police Commander Moses Mutisya, arrived with a contingent of local police, restoring order that paved the way for the SGM to proceed.
The police allegedly from outside Meru left the venue in a few lorries, leaving local police to take charge.
James Kithinji, the hotel's General Manager and Florence Muthuri, a Director, accused the police from outside Meru of disrupting business and activities, and said they were mulling a suit upon establishing the value of losses.
"I confronted one of the officers. I think he was the team leader. They had no badges. He told me that there will be no meeting here," said a visibly angry Kithinji.
He said the organisers of the SGM had booked the venue, which was also hosting separate events, as he regretted the disruption.
"They even threatened to go to the rooms and get the guests out of the rooms. This is very bad for police officers. Instead of securing businesses, they are planning to destroy businesses," Kithinji said.
He said, "I wonder why the police officers would come to somebody's business and decide to destroy it. We have built this business for many years. Instead of safeguarding it they come to destroy it, with a lot of arrogance."
Ms Muthuri said a wedding at the hotel and other activities were also disrupted.
FKF President Hussein Mohammed arrived at the venue shortly after 11am, and Vice President Mcdonald Mariga was also at the hotel.
The contentious SGM convened by FKF General Assembly, the federation's supreme decision-making organ, had generated tension, with part of the agenda on the table being deliberations on the resolutions made by the National Executive Committee (NEC) on April 24 this year, and their implications for FKF operations and the conduct of some NEC members.
The NEC members whose conduct were part of the agenda included FKF Vice President Mcdonald Mariga, FKF Woman Rep Kerubo Momanyi, Coast NEC member Gabriel Mghendi and his counterparts Dan Shikanda (Nairobi), Collins Opiyo Kalee (Nyanza), Robert Macharia (Central) and Bernard Lagat of Upper Rift Valley.
Set to grace the occasion were Federation of International Football (FIFA) Senior Governance Services Manager Bruno Comicholi, its Lead Regional Office (Kigali) David Ndayisenga, Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) Legal Manager Nnaemeka A. Olu, as well as Acting Sports Registrar Chacha S. Maroa and others from the State Department of Sports.
