FKF vice-presidential candidate Twaha : FKF poll a farce, risks legal action

ASPIRING FKF VICE PRESIDENT MEETS COAST FOOTBALL DELEGATES Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Vice President aspirant Twaha Mbarak (left) is franked by FKF North Coast Branch John Ngoa (centre) and FKF South Coast Branch secretary Evans Mwachia while addressing FKF Coast delegates at Malindi in Kilifi County on Saturday 12th September 2015. Photo/Kelvin Karani

FKF vice-presidential candidate Twaha Mbarak has warned football elections currently underway risk facing a myriad of litigations because of the Elections Board’s “outright disregard for the law”.

Twaha cited sub-branch repeat elections in Makadara, Southern and Nyahururu, which were slated for January 14, only to be rescheduled to January 15 without proper notice.

“The Elections Board wrote to stakeholders on Thursday (January 14) saying they were unable to conduct the poll because of hitches in printing election materials. The letter further says that as soon as they get a response from IED (Institute for Education in Democracy), they would confirm when next to hold the elections.

“How then could they proceed on Friday without again, another proper notice or letter,” Twaha said.

The former FKF Vice President said the poll could degenerate into a farce saying the Elections Board appears to be under instruction to not listen to the rest of the stakeholders.

“This cannot continue this way. We shall seek the opinion of other stakeholders, including legal means,” Twaha said.

The sentiments come in the wake of repeat polls order by the Independent Appeals Board nullifying the previous exercise in Makadara, Machakos, Nyahururu and Trans Nzoia West.

Nyahururu sub-branch officials said yesterday they were putting together their court papers to be filed tomorrow at the High Court of Kenya to “demand justice and fairness in the polls”.

Outgoing Nyahururu sub-branch chairman Mr Buhari Arita said National Elections Board had failed to adhere to the rules that should have governed the repeated and disputed Nyahururu sub-branch elections on Friday.

Arita said the sub-branch did not qualify for the polls as clubs alleged to have taken part in the polls have never consistently participated in the leagues at the sub branch in the past three years.

“We have not had any consistent league at the sub branch for the past three years owing to different reasons. Tournaments have been the order of the day for that period and therefore, the purported elections are null and void,” he told Feverpitch.

FKF President Sam Nyamweya said: “There ought to have been a fresh notice if the exercise did not take off on Thursday. That is the law. We urge the Board to consult widely because as it is the elections on Friday are illegal,” Nyamweya said.

“Otherwise they could run into serious legal problems,” he said.