Mwendwa poised for land slide victory
Will Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Nick Mwendwa wield the magic wand yet again to retain the plum position in the national elections penciled for tomorrow?
This is the million dollar question as the youthful administrator takes on four other candidates to ascertain who shall lead the federation for the next four years.
Former FKF deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Herbert Mwachiro, former AFC Leopards chairman Dan Mule, football blogger Boniface Osano and ex-Gor Mahia CEO Lordvick Omondi Aduda will all be on the ballot seeking to oust Mwendwa.
However, bookmakers aver that the work is cut out for the quartet simply because of the disparity in their campaign in the run-up to the poll as compared to Mwendwa.
Already he has started implementing projects that he had planned for his second term, indicating his more-than-confident posture to retaing his position.
In the experience bit, the incumbent, who has traversed several branches in search of votes, takes it all but whether that shall count remains to be seen in the FKF elections that has attracted a lot of interest.
Battle lines have already been drawn in the exercise that has twice been cancelled by the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) but over and above, it will be the 87 delegates who are entitled to vote who will decide whether Mwendwa will continue clinging onto the highest position in thee country’s football administration in the country.
In 2016 when he was first elected into office, Mwendwa vanquished three candidates in Gor Mahia Chairman Ambrose Rachier and ex-international Sammy Sholei, Ssemi Aina after then FKF boss Sam Nyamweya stepped down.
Before Nyamweya backed out, he had stated that he wanted to retain the seat due to great public demand.
But Mwendwa’s Team Change had other ideas as it literally carried their man on its shoulders to beat even Rachier who had been considered the biggest challenger in the absence of Nyamweya.
Mwendwa’s manifesto was clear: pull out Kenyan football out of the quagmire and set bench marks’ which duly came, one of which was Harambee Stars qualifying to the Africa Cup of Nations after missing out for 15 years.
That, however, does not mean there has been no bloat and especially towards Mwendwa last term ahead of the weekend’s elections.
Among this is an allegation of coming up with rules tailored at making him retain the seat including setting unaffordable nomination fees.
Another dissension is that FKF has yet to comply with the Sports Act 2013 besides the notification that Mwendwa’s term as KFF President has expired.
Whether such issues might invite litigation in the event that Mwendwa wins is neither here nor there but the interesting bit is that his opponents have all sounded war drums ahead of the contest.
A FKF presidential candidate has to be a Kenyan by birth and possess at least five endorsements from FKF members.
He or she must also have played an active role in football either as a player, member, or official of FKF in two of the last five years as per the Fifa Statutes.
The candidate must also pay a non-refundable fee of Sh300,000 and satisfy the requirements for leadership and integrity set out in Chapter Six of the 2010 Kenya Constitution.
