Doris Petra, the new Football Kenya Federation boss, is no stranger to football administration. And neither is she new to the whiff controversy that has dogged the beautiful game for long time.
On Tuesday, the embattled FKF boss Nick Mwenda wrote to the federation's national executive committee transferring his roles to her.
"In light of the foregoing, specifically the arrests and detention, which have adversely affected my family and personal business and whilst I am confident of being cleared of any wrongdoing in the end. I have today (Tuesday), in accordance with article 42 (8) of the FKF constitution asked my vice president madam Doris Petra to assume all functions of the president," wrote Mwendwa.
She became the first FKF woman deputy President. She holds a diploma in personnel and human resource and began working as an untrained teacher at ThurDibuoro Secondary School in Nyakach before joining Kenya Posts and Telecommunication in 1989, now Telkom. She was retrenched in 2005.
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While in her early 40's, she made her first stint in football. Petra worked during Sam Nyamweya's tenure at FKF since 2006. She says working with men is not easy unless one accepts to work with them without offending their egos.
She also worked with Nyamweya as a national executive committee member before becoming the first female Deputy President in Kenyan football and then the first female president.
She said: "I have learnt to be patient, good listener and open to ideas," she said. Petra said meeting people from different backgrounds with different ideas helped her grow beyond steadily.
In 2013, she was awarded KPL Chairman’s award for her contribution to football development. Her journey in football administration, she said, has been tough and sometimes emotionally draining.
“I have learnt to listen to my soul, choose my friends wisely and pray," she said.
The mother of six has been championing the rights of players and organizing local leagues. She was involved in the establishment of provincial league structures in Rift Valley and national women's team.
