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Nyakundi urges FIFA to respect Kenyan laws amidst football dispute

Select FKF delegates during a press conference in Nairobi on Friday 15th March 2024 © FKF

By Rama Mohammed | 28 Mar 2024

FIFA has threatened to sanction Kenya over third party interference after a Mombasa court issued an order stopping the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Annual General Meeting that was initially set to be held on 16th March

Sports Journalist Milton Nyakundi has issued a firm response to recent warnings from FIFA to suspend Kenya from international football.

In a press release dated 27th March 2024, Nyakundi addressed FIFA's threat of a potential suspension following the postponement of the Football Kenya Federation's (FKF) Annual General Meeting (AGM), initially scheduled for 16th March 2024.

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Expressing dismay at FIFA's stance, Nyakundi stated, "This directive is tantamount to FIFA encouraging anarchy through willful disobedience of court orders, which is punishable by law." His remarks were in response to FIFA's claim, as outlined by Kenny Jean-Marie, FIFA's Chief Member Associations Officer, that the High Court Order issued in Mombasa on 15th March 2024 constituted third-party interference in the affairs of the FKF.

Nyakundi emphasized the importance of upholding legal principles, asserting, "The directive fails to appreciate the basic principles of law that court orders must be obeyed at all times." He further criticized FIFA's perceived overreach, stating, "The author of the letter from FIFA is arrogating themselves power that they do not have, in law and in fact."

In addressing FIFA's threat to ban Kenya, Nyakundi drew a vivid analogy, remarking, "Threatening to ban Kenya instead of sanctioning the individuals culpable for violating the cited provision of the FIFA Statutes is tantamount to burning down a whole house merely because you found a few rats in there."

Moreover, Nyakundi reiterated the position of Kenyan football stakeholders regarding Nick Mwendwa's administration. "For the avoidance of doubt, Kenyan football stakeholders maintain that the Nick Mwendwa administration was duly removed from office by operation of the law in November 2021," he stated, highlighting a serious trust deficit in the impeached team's ability to conduct fair elections.

Nyakundi called for FIFA to engage constructively with the Kenyan government to establish a Normalisation Committee, emphasizing the need for a resolution that respects Kenyan laws and addresses the deep-seated issues within the country's football governance.