Candidates dismisses alleged KFF-FKL merger

By Ernest Ndunda

Two candidates for local football’s top seat have criticised a reported merger between Kenya Football Federation (KFF) and Football Kenya Limited (FKL) ahead of the elections.

KFF Senior Vice-Chairman Twaha Mbarak has told off Chairman Sam Nyamweya over reports that the federation had agreed to work with FKL to oppose the guidelines of the forthcoming football election and forge a common front for the elections.

"KFF Executive Committee has not met to deliberate on the move of working with FKL and Nyamweya should not drag KFF into personal matters," said Mbarak in Mombasa.

Hussein Mohammed, also gunning for the top seat, said the merger was inconsequential, noting that people were driven by the desire to have change.

"It is normal for every political process to have mergers, but this one will undoubtedly have no effect because Kenyans want change in football management," said Hussein.

"Nyamweya and FKL Chairman Mohammed Hatimy should not meet in a cafeteria and decide on behalf of the two federations. Whatever they presented to the Independent Electoral Board and Fifa official Leodegar Tenga were personal proposals and not collective decisions of the federation," said Mbarak, also eying the top seat.

Nyamweya and Hatimy’s supporters met on Thursday night to forge a common approach for the forthcoming elections. Mbarak said KFF and FKL have different manifestos and there was no way they could merge for the elections.

He said FKL had pending cases in court and were against the formation of a new body, while KFF was supporting the new body to be put in place to run football. Fifa had cleared FKL over any wrongdoings, but Kenyan courts are yet to determine the cases. Mbarak urged his chairman and Hatimy to accept that Kenyans wanted a change in football and the change has come.

Meanwhile, Sammy Sholei, another aspirant for the top seat, arrived in Voi on Friday to solicit for votes.

Sholei said he would meet clubs in Voi and its environs to sell his manifesto as to why he wanted to be the next chairman.