Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier has moved to the High Court in a bid to block a directive from the Sports Registrar ordering the club to commence fresh elections following the expiry of his tenure on June 8, 2026.
Court documents show that Rachier has filed a constitutional petition at the Milimani High Court challenging the Sports Registrar's interpretation of term limits under the Sports Act.
The case, filed as HCCHR PET/E372/2026, pits Rachier against the State Law Office, the Sports Registrar and other respondents. Justice David Mburu on Tuesday certified the matter as urgent and directed that the respondents be served with the petition and supporting documents by June 17.
The court further ordered the respondents to file their responses within seven days of being served, with the matter scheduled for mention on June 25 for further directions.
The legal battle stems from a June 10 letter in which Sports Registrar Rose Wasike instructed Gor Mahia to immediately begin the process of electing new officials.
The Registrar argued that club officials who had served continuously since Gor Mahia's registration under the Sports Act in June 2018 had reached the maximum eight-year term limit allowed by law.
According to the Registrar, although Gor Mahia only held its first elections in August 2020, the tenure clock started running from the date the club received its certificate of registration on June 8, 2018. Consequently, officials whose terms began at registration, including Rachier, exhausted their allowable tenure on June 8, 2026.
The directive ordered the club to issue a four-week election notice to members and the Registrar's office and begin the process of replacing officials whose terms had expired.
Rachier's move to court now throws the planned transition into uncertainty and sets the stage for a legal showdown over the interpretation of sports governance laws in Kenya.
The development comes just over a year after Rachier retained the Gor Mahia chairmanship during the club's elections held in April 2025. He defeated challenger Dolfina Odhiambo to secure another four-year mandate and appeared set to remain in office until 2029.
Having first assumed the chairmanship in 2008, Rachier has overseen one of the most successful periods in Gor Mahia's history. During his tenure, the record Kenyan champions have won multiple FKF Premier League titles, domestic cups and enjoyed notable CAF Confederation Cup campaigns.
Should the Sports Registrar's position ultimately prevail, Gor Mahia could be forced into fresh elections within weeks, potentially bringing an end to Rachier's 18-year reign at the helm of Kenya's most successful football club.
The outcome of the case could also set a significant precedent for the application of term limits across sports organisations in the country.
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