Kitui court clears way for FKF county elections to proceed
By Rama Mohammed |
A Kitui court has lifted an order halting the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) county elections, initially scheduled for November 9. The elections, now set for November 14, will proceed in 39 counties. The ruling addressed legal challenges and allowed key candidates previously barred to run, as officials warned of potential harm to Kenyan football if the elections faced further delays.
A Kitui court has lifted a previous order blocking Football Kenya Federation (FKF) county elections initially set for November 9. The elections will now take place on November 14 across 39 counties.
Kitui High Court Judge Justice Limo lifted the order, noting that the same case had already been filed in a Milimani court in October. The judge criticized the petitioner for failing to disclose the existence of the previous case and not following proper withdrawal procedures.
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Lawyers for FKF argued that delaying the election process could harm Kenyan football. The state law office supported this view, warning that Kenya risked a FIFA ban if elections were not held as planned.
Following the ruling, FKF's electoral board confirmed that elections would proceed on November 14. Board Chairman Hesborn Owilla directed returning officers to be ready by November 13 to ensure smooth voting.
The ruling was a relief to candidates who had already invested heavily in their campaigns. The county elections will be followed by national elections, now rescheduled from December 7 to the following week.
Separately, the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) has also made decisions affecting several candidates. Last week, the SDT suspended the FKF elections in Homa Bay County and allowed Basil Wakhulungu to run for the Taita Taveta chairmanship after being initially disqualified. Tribunal Chairman John Ohaga stated that Wakhulungu’s right to contest was protected by the Sports Act.
In Nairobi East County, the tribunal upheld the decision to bar Eric Luyayi from running for chairman, citing allegations of fund embezzlement. Ohaga said the tribunal considered these serious allegations to ensure accountability in sports leadership.
In Mombasa County, Ali Salim Said, initially disqualified due to questions about his FKF membership, has now been cleared to run. The tribunal also cleared several other candidates from Laikipia, Taita Taveta, Tana River, Mandera, Trans Nzoia, and Nakuru counties.
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