•Our nation has been torn apart by egoistic individuals who zealously sabotage progress to achieve selfish ends.
•Before casting their ballots to usher in a new office, stakeholders need to meticulously sift through the list of candidates to separate wheat from chaff.
Image: HANDOUT
Several candidates have already started taking calculated steps towards securing the highly sought-after Football Kenya Federation (FKF) presidency.
July marks the end of the trouble-ridden Nick Mwendwa-led administration. As delegates prepare to make the most pertinent decision regarding the local football landscape, our prayer is that reason and sobriety will override vested interests.
Our nation has been torn apart by egoistic individuals who zealously sabotage progress to achieve selfish ends.
Before casting their ballots to usher in a new office, stakeholders need to meticulously sift through the list of candidates to separate wheat from chaff.
The electoral process must exclude all candidates with credibility issues and questionable track records. Kenyans can no longer afford to condone mediocrity. Regrettably, by making poor choices, football stakeholders promote the emergence and survival of subpar leaders.
People tend to value the trappings of power that accompany an election victory more than an aspirant's ability to fulfill pre-election commitments.
Cunningly, voters rally around candidates who can help them land jobs, secure trips, and improve their personal lives.
To further an egoistic agenda, aspirants enlist the services of opinion shapers who care less about the development of football in our country.
Regrettably, the guilty parties ensnared in the murky waters are influential individuals in the society, including insincere members of the fourth estate.
Such individuals give very little consideration to candidates who are passionate about changing football in the nation. They use their positions to advance the interests of aspirants who are prepared to pad their wallets.
They hardly care about football administrators who are capable of turning around the fortunes of the national teams. Ultimately, the real football stakeholders endure endless ordeals as heedless power brokers enjoy personal benefits upon the triumph of their favourite candidate.
This unfortunate turn of events leaves the careers of local athletes mangled, as they find themselves surviving on a poet's income.
Cases also abound of aspirants who use the FKF office to launch their political careers. These individuals are the paragons of insincerity and aptly exemplify the saying 'wolves in sheep's clothing'.
Just when the elections are about to happen, whoosh! Scammers with little football experience come out of nowhere with grandiose promises that end up gathering dust on the shelf once they assume office.
To ensure those who show interest in leadership roles have the prerequisite credentials to take Kenyan football to the next level, a thorough screening process must be carried out.
Kenyans are tired of hearing hollow talk and lengthy tirades from aspirants whose leadership abilities prove disastrous and pathetic after they land important roles at Kandanda House.
We need people with proven track records to sail our ship to uncharted territory. Moreover, we live in a democratic nation and, as such, require a new crop of leaders who are prepared to accept opposing viewpoints and criticism without taking offence.
Athletes have previously been singled out for victimisation after speaking out against injustices in the federation. Such antiquated and dictatorial practices have no place in a contemporary and civilised society where individuals fully understand their rights. Athletes shouldn't be expected to cower in dread when self-seeking leaders sloppily violate their rights. Long live Kenyan football!