Top sports marketer joins Kenya FA presidency race

30 Mai 2020

Nairobi, Kenya, May 30 (Infosplusgabon)-Top-notch sports marketer Herbert Mwachiro has joined the race for Football Kenya Federation (FKF) presidency.

Mwachiro joins the race at a time the federation's bid to conduct elections has been hit by court cases.

His entry throws into the mix and interest line-up of football administrators thirsting for the top seat.

Mwachiro served six months at the FKF secretariat before parting ways with the federation.

He was the deputy CEO and head of marketing, but he left the federation after a fall out with FKF President  Nick Mwendwa.

Mwendwa, is an IT expert, running an IT firm and Kariobangi Sharks FC, a club featuring in the 20-team Kenyan Premier League.

Mwachiro told the media on Saturday that if elected, he will utilize his 30-year sports administration-cum-marketing experience to take Kenyan football to greater heights.

FKF, whose term ended in February, is yet to fix a new polls date after previous bid to elect a new national office was frustrated by cases filed by stakeholders.

One litigation that tied FKF's hands was filed by stakeholders, faulting the constitution of the FKF Electoral Board members.

Led by former president of the federation, Sam Nyamweya, the stakeholders rushed to the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT), seeking  disbandment of the board, citing conflict of interest.

They argued that Elynah Sifuna, a journalist and Sports Dispute Tribunal member, could not serve in the electoral board at the same time.

The SDT wrote to FIFA, requesting the global football governing body to  authorize formation of a normalization committee  pending elections.

FIFA rejected the request.

Mwachiro, who believes in building football from the grassroots upwards, is also calling for revival of the Olympic Youth Centres.

Established in the 1970s, the centres made a big contribution to the development of football in Kenya.

Calling for a paradigm shift in sports management he said: ''Football is business, 30 percent of revenue raised should go to the grassroots.''

He is a National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) Sports and Environment Committee member.

The former CEO of the Kenya 2018 African Nations Championships (CHAN) Secretariat, attributed Kenya's debacle to failure to put in place the requisite infrastructure.

''One of the requirements was that the host country must put in place four stadia that meet the requisite standards, we only had  one, we failed to renovate three others on time,'' said Mwachiro.

In the race for the FKF presidency, Mwachiro joins incumbent, Nick Mwendwa, who is seeking a second four-year term.

Other contenders are immediate former president Sam Nyamweya and  a former county governor Rev Moses Akharanga.

FIN/ INFOSPLUSGABON/LMP/GABON2020

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