Terry rallies support for CS Amina’s efforts to resolve FKF stand-off

Former Harambee Stars team manager Hussein Terry [STANDARD SPORTS]

Former Harambee Stars team manager Hussein Terry has rallied support for Sports Cabinet Secretary Amb. Amina Mohamed saying she needs all the help to restore order in Kenyan football.

Terry, who is also a former Coast region FKF NEC member said Amb. Amina has followed all protocols including letting the Tribunal resolve the federation’s failure to conduct a credible poll.

“She has respected Fifa Statutes while also staying clear of the Sports Disputes Tribunal and what does she get in return? A disrespectful letter from Fifa. She doesn’t deserve that,” Terry told Standard Sports yesterday.

“To be honest, Amb. Amina has handled the FKF situation in a dignified manner. Reason dictates that there should also be reciprocity from Fifa because the Kenyan parliament created an independent Sports Tribunal to handle Kenya’s perennial administrative and governance with an avenue to the Court of Arbitration for Sport,” Terry added.

The Sports Disputes Tribunal has twice annulled the FKF election exercise, the first time for violating Fifa Standard Electoral Code and failing to conduct public participation in accordance with the Constitution of Kenya 2010.

The second time, the Tribunal ruled FKF had inserted an unconstitutional eligibility clause in its electoral code that resulted in the president and deputy president returning unopposed as were officials in 39 out of 47 counties.

“These are weighty issues which I believe Fifa has to look into and punish those who fiddled with election rules. I don’t see any justification for a Fifa ban if stakeholders are asking for answers to genuine concerns,” Terry said.

A letter by Fifa’s Member Associations boss has generated a lot of heat after it purported to reinstate FKF’s National Executive Committee despite the SDT’s declaration on March 17 that their term ended on February 10.

Fifa’s Governance Services Manager Sarah Solemale, however, had given FKF a month from February 10 to conduct the elections.

FKF was due to conduct the national elections on March 30 but were stopped on their tracks by SDT which proceeded to request Fifa to form a Normalisation Committee.

Fifa, however, turned down the request saying the SDT ruling had no legal effect on the world governing body.