Divided house of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya

Outgoing National Olympic Committee of Kenya president and marathon legend Paul Tergat. [File, Standard] The eagerly awaited National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) elections that were to be held on Thursday in Nairobi failed to take off. The polls were adjourned for between two and four weeks following internal wrangles by four NOC-K affiliates, namely the Kenya Handball Federation, the Kenya Volleyball Federation, the Kenya Taekwondo Federation, and Triathlon Kenya. The affiliates failed to reach a consensus on who between their presidents/chairmen and secretary generals was to cast the vote in the nervy elections that were earlier in the day delayed by High Court proceedings in Milimani. "I have been the one voting in these elections over the years. I can't understand why I cannot do so now that I'm also contesting," Kenya Handball Federation Secretary General Nderitu Gikaria, who was up in arms against his association Chairman F.K Paul, lamented. In triathlon, Jocyline Nyambura (president) failed to reach an amicable agreement with her secretary general Eric Salonik Ole Koyiet on who was to cast the federation's precious vote. Moses Mbuthia also opposed his Kenya Volleyball Federation boss Charles Nyaberi on the vote casting process. It was also the same situation with spirited George Wasonga, who stood his ground against his Kenya Taekwondo Federation boss Suleiman Sumba. "I'm the one who is voting," Wasonga declared in front of the NOC-K executives led by outgoing President Paul Tergat. Following the stalemates, the Annual General Assembly (AGM) agreed to adjourn the polls to allow the four federations to solve their issues. "The matters have failed to be resolved. The stalemates are purely the federations' affairs, but because it is in order that they must participate in the elections, and for the sake of the harmony of the sports industry, we have now put it to the General Assembly to decide," NOC-K Secretary General Francis Mutuku underlined. Adjournment of the meeting was supported by the Kenya Table Tennis Federation president Andrew Mudibo and was seconded by Football Kenya Federation (FKF). "It is quite evident there is a disagreement here. That we are not going to hold these elections. We advise the four federations to go back to the drawing board to sort out their differences and even approach the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) board to help them out. Let's adjourn for two weeks, then after that we can call for a Special General Meeting (SGM) to deliberate on this," highlighted Mudibo. Mudibo also suggested to the meeting that they can also utilised the two-week period to sort out the issue of eligibility of the four candidates, namely Mutuku - President (Tennis), Eliud Anthony Kariuki - Second Vice President (Wrestling) and John Ogolla - Secretary General (Weightlifting) and Mbuthia who is an independent candidate going for the treasurer post. The Shadrack Maluki led side, Team New Dawn, wanted the rivals to be disqualified from the polls, stating that their nominations and seconding breached clause 17.3 of the NOC-K's constitution. The particular clause requires candidates to be nominated by their own federation and seconded by a voting delegate of a member federation or association, other than that of the proposer nominating the candidate, to be eligible for the elections. Team New Dawn claimed that Mutuku was seconded by David Munuhe of Boxing Association of Kenya who they stated is not a voting delegate. They said Lucas Onyango of Kenya Amateur Weightlifting Association (Kawa) seconded Kariuki for the post of Second Vice President and yet is not eligible to vote in the polls. They reiterated that Pius Ochieng proposed Ogolla for the Secretary General's post and yet he is neither the President, the Secretary nor the Treasurer of Kawa. They further claimed that Wasonga seconded Mbuthia yet the voting delegate at the Kenya Taekwondo Federation is Sumba.

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