Electoral board suspends voting over ongoing appeals
It looks increasingly unlikely that the national elections of the Football Kenya Federation will be held this year.
The FKF Electoral Board yesterday postponed the elections that were to continue today with the branch polls culminating in the election of a national office next week.
”It is with great regret that the FKF elections board announces the cancellation of branch and national elections that were scheduled for December 18 (today) and 22nd respectively,” opened the boards statement signed by chairman Donald Kipkorir.”
“The cancellation has been neccesitated by the ongoing appeals at the FKF Elections appeals board with the appeals arising from the recently concluded sub branch polls.we have consisntently maintained that the elections shall be and are free,fair and transparent. Giving room for appeals therefore enhances our pledge. We will announce new dates once the appeal period ends ealry next week”concluded the electoral board statement.On Wednesday evening FKF
CEO Michael Esakwa sent out the decisons of the three complaints lodged with the Aden Mohammed chaired FKF Elections Appeals board. The appeals board ruled in favour of two appelants Philip Owuot of Nyanza west branch which comprises Homa Bay, Suba and Migori sub branches and Samuel Nyaga and Ibrahim Njuki from Lower eastern branch.
The Appeals board ordered the election boards to adopt the lists provided by the chairman and secreaties from the complainants sub branches.
“The election board is hereby directed to adopt the lists provided by the chairman and secretary without prejudice to the boards power to verify any modifications that might be neccesary in the circumstances,” the
appeal ruling read in part.
Another complaint filed by Stephen Ochiel was thrown out for lack of sufficient grounds to neccesitate the relief he was looking for from the board.
With more sub branch polls having been held on Tuesday, it is likely the appeals board that sits at the federation’s secrtariat at Nyayo stadium will be inundated by more complaints which they will have to dispense with adequately before the next step in the football elections is taken.
That therefore means with the holiday period fast approaching the earliest that the national polls to elect the FKF President, the vice president and members of the national executive committee is mid January 2016 just a month or so before world soccer governing body, Fifa hold their presidential polls to replace embattled Sepp Blatter
