Calls for normalisation committee intensifies

CS Sports Amina Mohamed during the launch of Torch of Possibilities Campaign in Nairobi on Friday, Feb 28, 2020. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Tuesday’s Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) landmark ruling to cancel Football Kenya Federation (FKF) elections and invite the world football governing body, Fifa to form a normalisation committee, has triggered mixed reactions across the country.

While a section of the football stakeholders, mostly those aligned to the incumbent federation, have expressed their disapproval of the judgment made by the John Ohaga-led tribunal while the aggrieved parties have termed it a fair ruling.

It is not the first time Kenya has found itself into such a situation.

In 2004, Fifa appointed a normalisation committee after the country was suspended due to government interference in the then Kenya Football Federation’s affairs.

And with the SDT having already received the backing of Sports CS Amb. Amina Mohamed after the ruling that has brought to an end the term of the current office bearers, anxiety has gripped the local football community as the country awaits Fifa’s response to the judgment.

Even as the wait continues, former KFF treasurer Noordine Taib feels it is only through the formation of a normalisation committee that stability will be brought back into the Kenyan football.

“Having been in football management for long, I wasn’t surprised by the SDT’s ruling. I fully support it and the CS Amb. Amina’s commitment to uphold the rule of law,” Taib told Standard Sports.

“Now it’s my hope that Fifa will swing into action and appoint the normalisation committee because this is the only way sanity will be brought back into our game. All those who had been locked out by the draconian rules are now free to contest.”

Asked if Kenya was staring at a ban over government interference, the famous Kiko Cup sponsor said: “There is nothing wrong with the ruling and the government is just supporting sanity. In any case this was an independent sport Tribunal.

“Therefore people must stop propagating this false notion that we will be banned. The worst Fifa can do is to suspend us the way they did in 2004 and our games rescheduled like the Guinea match in 2004.”

On Tuesday, just a few hours after the ruling, FKF president Nick Mwendwa said: “We don’t agree with the decision but we will go by it and await Fifa’s directive.”

Outspoken Kakamega Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula said the judgement has given hope to those who had been ‘deliberately’ locked out of the exercise.

“I applaud SDT for giving hope to those, who had been deliberately blocked from contesting. And since we are going to have the same level of playing ground, I prefer we have an independent electoral board,” said Shimanyula.