Football Kenya Federation (FKF) National Executive Committee members must step aside immediately to save the country from the ongoing crisis, Nairobi East Branch Chairman Amos Otieno has said.
Speaking moments after 198 Council Members of the world football governing body, Fifa, held a congress in Doha, Qatar to ratify a decision made earlier to suspend Kenya from international competitions, Otieno said the move was good for the country.
“Fifa's decision has made us realize the step we ought to take as a country in order to resolve the problem facing us,” Otieno said.
“The best thing for us to do now is to call for the resignation of the FKF National Executive Committee to pave way for individuals who have the interest of the country at heart,” he added.
“During a meeting we held at Sportsview Hotel in Nairobi a week ago, we asked the embattled office to resign and even wrote a letter to chief executive officer Barry Otieno to call a meeting for the election of an interim committee to run football in the country,” Otieno said.
KCB Football Club chairman Azu Ogolla echoed Otieno's sentiments, saying the only way out was to adhere to the statutes of the Zurich-based body.
“Kenya must listen to the world football governing body, Fifa, and make decisions that fall within its doctrines, Ogolla said.
“It's unfortunate that key stakeholders couldn't reach a common ground to resolve the stalemate,” Ogolla said, adding that the situation impacted negatively on the future of Kenyan football.
“The future is bleak. What happens to the local clubs, and especially the ones that are struggling financially? How do we showcase our talent?
“We will now not be allowed play in international competitions in spite of the vast and quality talent that we have in the country,” Ogolla said.
Fifa suspended Kenya after Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed disbanded the Nick Mwendwa-led administration on November 12 last year, after which she constituted a caretaker committee to run football in the country.
The football body had offered to lift Kenya's suspension if the country fulfilled the conditions set earlier in a letter addressed to the chief executive officer of the expelled Football Kenya Federation, Barry Otieno.
However, a prolonged push and pull between the federation and government has left the matter unresolved and the conditions unmet.
Among Fifa's demanded was the reinstatement of the embattled Federation.
However, CS Amina dug in, insisting the government had set out to right the wrongs in the Kenyan football arena.
The stand-off led to the elimination of Harambee Starlets from the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations.
