•The fate of the industrious Kenyan lasses was sealed at the mere stroke of a malicious pen.
•There has been a raging debate revolving around the government's decision to interfere with the activities of the ousted federation.
Image: FILE
Harambee Starlets' uneventful exit from the Africa Women Cup of Nations qualifiers has left the government with an egg on the face and the country with a sour taste in the mouth.
The women's national team ought to have flexed muscles with neighbouring Uganda on February 17 before a letter from the continental football governing body, Caf, scuttled all the plans.
The fate of the industrious Kenyan lasses was sealed at the mere stroke of a malicious pen.
A rash communique to Caf by Barry Otieno who served as chief executive officer of the disbanded Nick Mwendwa-led federation triggered the storm that capsized the Starlets' ship.
Otieno — probably enraged by their unceremonious ouster and buoyed by a burning desire to exact revenge — drafted the damning letter that sought to withdraw the team from engaging further in the continental showpiece.
He must be smiling wryly in the comfort of his room as the entire scenario continues to unfold against the government.
The Football Kenya Federation Caretaker Committee, constituted by Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed in November last year went on to disband the Starlets' camp even as it began to dawn on the entire country that frantic efforts to salvage coach Alex Alumira's charges from the jaws of elimination had landed in a ditch.
The tragedy reared its ugly head at a time the country seemed to draw consolation and inspiration from the team's stellar run in the competition after the men's national team, Harambee Stars, failed miserably in their quest for a maiden World Cup appearance.
As local sports enthusiasts continue to count losses, of immediate concern is the fate of the country's leagues and competitions. The most nagging question is whether Kenyan clubs will be allowed to participate in continental shows even as the Kenyan Premier League enters its final stages.
News that the FKF Caretaker Committee has begun laying the ground for national elections planned for May is music to the ears of the local football fraternity. The elections will provide the only escape route from the current impasse.
The world football governing body, Fifa, has already shown it is in a bad mood and any further legal howlers by the government might only attract harsher penalties.
There has been a raging debate revolving around the government's decision to interfere with the activities of the ousted federation. There are those who are laying the blame squarely on the shoulders of government mandarins who either unknowingly or blatantly turned a blind eye to Fifa statutes that protect member federations.
Undoubtedly, the country's constitution empowers the government to safeguard its citizens from bad leadership. However, it begs to ask where the thin line should be drawn between the government's responsibility and Fifa laws.
Some quarters have lashed out at Barry Otieno for failing to exhibit the great character of patriotism after he penned the letter that sunk the nation.
However, wasn't it also of importance for the government to respect the rights bestowed upon the disbanded federation in their capacity as an elected entity?
My take is that Fifa should organise consultative meetings with the regimes of their member federations to strike out a balance and address all the grey areas that have caused such stalemates.