The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) elections are set to take place on Saturday to elect the president and other 10 members of the National Executive Committee (NEC).
The presidential seat has attracted eight candidates, with their fate resting on the 90 delegates expected to cast their votes.
These elections will mark the end of Nick Mwendwa’s two-term presidency. However, Mwendwa may not be fully sidelined, as his current deputy, Doris Petra, is a candidate to succeed him as the first female FKF president.
Petra, who previously served under Mwendwa as his deputy, leads Team Blue, and if she emerges as the winner, Mwendwa could still play a significant role within FKF in the next four years as his deputy.
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Other candidates seeking to take over from Mwendwa include his former FKF CEO, Barry Otieno, who resigned from his position to vie for the presidency.
Otieno is deputized by Lucy Kaiga, the former chairperson of the Nyadarua branch. Otieno has been part of Mwendwa’s administration since 2019 and is now aiming for a higher position within the federation.
The CEO of Extreme Sports, Hussein Mohamed, will also be on the ballot and will be deputized by former Harambee Stars player Macdonald Mariga. Mohamed is considered one of the leading candidates for the position.
Sammy Owino ‘Kempes’ will also be vying for the presidency alongside Evance Kadenge, seeking to transform Kenyan football.
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Cleophas Shimanyula, the chairman of Kakamega Homeboyz, has expressed his desire to change Kenyan football from the grassroots level. He will be deputized by Twaha Mbaruk.
Sam Ocholla, the current Gor Mahia Secretary General, will also be in the race, aiming to join the FKF leadership alongside Willis Waliaula as his deputy to bring about changes in Kenyan football.
Tom Allila has selected Beryl Adhiambo as his deputy, and together, they are ready to transform Kenyan football.
Chris Amimo is the eighth candidate, and he has selected former interim NEC member for the Eastern Region, Antony Makau, as his running mate.
The winner of the 2024 elections will need to garner 46 votes out of the 90 votes to be cast.
The 90 delegates represent the 47 counties, with each county producing one delegate. Nairobi has been allocated two delegates.
However, two counties, Homa Bay and Nyamira, will not participate in the election due to ongoing disputes in those regions.
In addition to the 46 branches, 43 clubs will also contribute delegates to the voting process. The FKF Premier League will provide 18 delegates, the National Super League will contribute 10 delegates, Division One clubs will have 10 delegates, and the Women’s Super League will have two delegates, with one of them representing KEFWA (Kenya Women’s Football Association), led by its president, James Situma.
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Hesbon Owila, the Electoral Board chairman, assured the candidates and delegates that adequate security measures will be in place for the elections. “We have put in place sufficient security measures to ensure the safety of all delegates, candidates, observers, and electoral staff,” he said.
FKF elections will determine the future of Kenyan football for the next four years, as clubs have been complaining of neglect, especially at the grassroots level.
