FKF delegates meet in Mombasa: Sports Disputes Tribunal declined to issue orders stopping the debate

Football Kenya Federation delegates interact during their Annual General Meeting(AGM) at Kenya School of Monetary Studies in Nairobi on Saturday 15/10/16.PHOTO:BONIFACE OKENDO

Proposals to extend term of office met stiff opposition in the debate.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) delegates meet in Mombasa today with the key agenda being the ratification of a new constitution.

Proponents of the proposed document have hailed it as revolutionary and say it will transform the management of football in the country.

Those opposed to the document have taken issue with the proposal to extend the tenure of officials, arguing that this goes against the Sports Act, something that has dominated debate around the proposed constitution.

Last week, former referee’s boss GMT Ottieno unsuccessfully attempted to stop debate on this particular clause after the Sports Disputes Tribunal declined to issue orders stopping the discussion.

The matter will be heard next week at the tribunal. But away from the extension of tenure, the most important proposal seems to be the need to do away with branches and football management to the county level.

This suggestion had been suggested before the 2016 FKF national elections but was not considered because it came a few months before the polls.

In the place of branches, the document proposes to have 48 counties with Nairobi having two counties.

According to article 34 of the proposed constitution, only four officials will be elected at the county level, unlike the current situation where eight officials are elected at the branches.

The officials to be elected are chairman, secretary, women representative and treasurer. Apart from the four officials, the proposed document suggests that a sub-county representative will sit at the county executive committee.

Another revolutionary proposal is giving KPL and National Super League (NSL) clubs elective posts in the executive committee which has been expanded to have 16 positions.

By having their own elected officials in the executive committee, KPL and NSL clubs will now have a bigger say in the running of football.

The Electoral College has also been expanded from 74 to 94 members as women and division one clubs get more delegates to vote at the general assembly of the federation.

Another radical proposal is that the vice presidents will be a running mate of the president and will not contest on their own.