The long-awaited National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) elections were thrown into disarray yet again after a High Court injunction halted the exercise, marking yet another chapter in the federation’s deepening leadership crisis.
The elections, initially slated for April but postponed due to delegate disputes involving four federations, suffered a fresh blow on Thursday morning when Justice Reuben Nyakundi issued a temporary injunction suspending the polls pending the outcome of a petition challenging the eligibility of certain candidates.
The legal tussle stems from a Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) ruling on Wednesday, which disqualified Kenya Table Tennis Federation (KTTF) president Andrew Mudibo from contesting the Secretary General post, over claims that his federation is not properly registered under the Sports Act, 2013.
"In the alternative, pending hearing and determination of the application, a temporary injunction was issued suspending the NOCK Executive Committee Election scheduled to take place on June 19, 2025," the court order read.
Mudibo, however, moved to the High Court to challenge the SDT ruling—and secured the injunction that ultimately halted the elections. Mudibo defended his court action, saying it was the only recourse to address injustices in the electoral process.
“Even the secondments I made, including Barnaba Korir for First Deputy President and the nominations of Eliud Kipchoge and Madam Lilian Mududa as athlete representatives, are now null and void,” Mudibo claimed. “It was clear the elections were being conducted unfairly.”
The NOCK elections are a two-horse race pitting first vice president Shadrack Maluki with his 'New Dawn' team against Secretary General Francis Mutuku.
Mudibo alleged bias within the SDT, accusing the tribunal of favouring federations aligned with the Mutuku-led team.
“The New Dawn team expresses grave concern over the SDT decisions between June 10 and 18. These rulings reveal a troubling pattern of legal bias, procedural manipulation and undue suppression,” Mudibo said.
“There’s manifest bias against New Dawn-affiliated federations while shielding those aligned with entrenched NOCK figures.”
Mudibo said his camp would escalate the matter further.
“We are seeking an audience with the Chief Justice and the Secretary of Tribunals. We must protect the integrity of sports governance.”
On his part, Maluki reiterated New Dawn's resolve to push for reform in the Olympic body. “The New Dawn team is committed to sports development in this country. Our members are presidents of active federations, and they have every reason to fight for fairness,” he said.
While acknowledging the legal hurdles, Maluki reaffirmed their resolve. “Yes, roadblocks have been placed in our way, but we remain steadfast in our pursuit of free and credible elections.”
However, he declined to speak further on the pending cases. “These matters are now before the court, and we respect that process.”
Meanwhile, Mutuku expressed his frustration with the latest development. “Today we were ready for the elections, but unfortunately we received a court order which left us with no room to proceed,” Mutuku said.
“As an executive, we convened urgently and resolved that going ahead with the polls would not be good for the organisation," he added. He added that the ongoing disputes were undermining the progress and integrity of the Paul Tergat-led executive. "It is difficult to know what's next. This is good for us as a country. It means we are slowly losing control, like now we are not following our calendar."
"The rich and beautiful legacy the executive committee had created is being tainted," he added. Mutuku further highlighted that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is keeping a close eye on proceedings in the country.
"Kenya has a good standing within the Olympic body. The IOC is following up closely and they are waiting for a report on what happened today," he added.
He further exuded optimism that things would work out. "This will work out eventually; it's purely politics. Once our lawyers have had a sit-down and looked at the court orders, and we resolve the matters, the elections will go on as planned."
