Immediate former Football Kenya Limited Chairman Hatimy writes to Fifa, hits out at Nyamweya

Immediate former Football Kenya Limited Chairman Mohamed Hatimy has broken his silence and accused Football Kenya Federation (FKF) of arm-twisting Kenyan football fraternity for their own gain ahead of next month’s election.

In a letter addressed to Fifa, Hatimy says that FKF through its President Sam Nyamweya violated its own constitution and was not sincere when it wrote a letter to Fifa saying Kenya was not ready to adopt the counties system of voting during the forthcoming election.

“Nyamweya’s letter to Fifa on forthcoming election had a lot of insincerity and duped the world body ahead of the elections,” Hatimy alleged in his letter.

Fifa’s acting Secretary General Markus Kattner has already written to FKF saying only branches will be used as the main format of voting to choose a new President and other positions.

Kattner’s letter has elicited anger mostly from the presidential aspirants, who have accused FKF for ‘rigging’ the election at an early stage after it was agreed during the Annual General Meeting that county system of voting would be applied during the polls.

Hatimy queried why Fifa was supporting violations of the law by FKF.

“The incumbent seem intent on breaching the constitution in order to make their re-election to another term in office as smooth as possible,” Hatimy’s letter read.

“All sovereign power belongs to the people of Kenya and shall be exercised only in accordance with this Constitution and Fifa policy is to uphold and respect national constitutions of member countries. When I was Chairman of Football Kenya Limited (FKL), Fifa policy was emphasised to me in no uncertain and clear terms. One of the conditions imposed upon my Executive by Fifa was to respect and honour gender balance, and this was accepted and implemented by us unequivocally,” Hatimy said.

Hatimy said it was disheartening to see Nyamweya and his executive bent on overturning the 2010 Constitution of the Republic of Kenya which calls for the implementation of one-third gender representation in government and public institutions as well as national organisations.

He said the incumbent contemplates excluding his rivals from taking part in the forthcoming elections.

“He only wants those vetted by his Executive to participate and if allowed to happen by Fifa, it will be in flagrant violation of Article Two of the Kenyan constitution, which allows people to exercise their sovereign power either directly or through their democratically elected representatives,” Hatimy said.