Ex-regional football chief joins Kenya FA polls race

17 Mai 2020

Nairobi, Kenya, May 17 (Infosplusgabon) -  Former Council of East African Football Associations(Cecafa) Secretary-General Nicholas Musonye is the latest football administrator to join the race for Football Kenya Federation(FKF) presidency.

The entry of Musonye, a journalist by profession, comes at a time FKF is battling a number of cases in court.

Musonye, a former sports writer at Kenya's leading daily, Daily Nation, is credited with taking Cecafa to new heights during his 21-year stay.

Musonye, who left Cecafa is December 2019, says he is gunning for the FKF top seat following requests from football fans.

He says his principal goal is to return Kenyans to the stadia and football pitches, with a view to revamping the welfare of the biggest stakeholder in the sport-footballer.

Embattled FKF has been dragged to court by their opponents for, among other reasons, the expiry in February of the mandate of the current office headed by Nick Mwendwa.

World football governing body FIFA had technically requested FKF to stay in office pending the hearing and determining of matters in court.

In December, stakeholders, led by former FKF President Sam Nyamweya, went to court seeking orders stopping the federation from conducting elections because of breach of constitution in the formation of the electoral board.

They argued that Elynah Sifuna, picked by FKF to serve on the board, was a wrong choice because she is a journalist, and a Sports Disputes Tribunal member.

She could not escape conflict of interest.

The tribunal cancelled the appointments, ordering the federation to constitute a new board.

And in yet another dispute taken to court by those opposing the naming of Gor Mahia the coronavirus-hit 2020 Kenyan Premier League champions, the tribunal ruled that FKF had no powers to name the champions because its term ended in February.

Like other leagues in the world, the Kenyan Premier League was stopped prematurely because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Gor Mahia, who were leading at the time FKF stopped the league, were declared the winners to the chagrin of some teams in the 20-team league.

Other notable aspirants for the FKF presidency are former Nairobi County Assembly Speaker, Alex Magelo.

Magelo is also a former chairman of Kenyan Premier League side AFC Leopards.

Also in the race for Vihiga County Governor is ex-cabinet minister and ex-MP, Rev Julius Akharanga.

Nick Mwendwa, an IT specialist-cum-businessman, elected FKF President in 2016,faces an uphill task defending his seat.

FIN/ INFOSPLUSGABON/BVC/GABON2020

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