Mwendwa tells off Ohaga, as he claims FKF has spent Sh40m in two elections
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Nick Mwendwa yesterday lashed out at Sports Disputes and Tribunal (SDT) chairman John Ohaga, accusing him of over stepping his mandate.
A furious Mwendwa blamed Ohaga for illegally meddling in football matters, clearly showing that he had personal interests in the sport through his actions and challenged him to offer himself for election in the forthcoming polls, if he wanted to lead the federation.
“Ohaga has continued to interfere with our elections despite the fact that he nullified two of our elections which cost the federation an average of Sh 40 million, but we still respected his decision,” said Mwendwa.
He added: “He must steer away from football matters and let us run the sport in peace.
He has created turmoil in the Paralympics and Swimming federations where he chairs committees that run the two federations.
We are not going to allow the same at FKF, but if his desire is to lead the federation, he should declare his candidature and enter the race when we issue the road map.”
Mwendwa said it was double standards for Ohaga to be a tribunal judges and an arbitrator at the same time.
He took offence with the fact that the tribunal invited a wide range of football stakeholders on Tuesday to find a solution to the current football impasse through a conference video call, a meeting that FKF members did not take part.
“I have never seen a court inviting people to table cases against one party, to be heard. The tribunal is not a consultant for FKF elections.
There is no way Ohaga can host a football stakeholders forum, yet he is not a member of FKF, who gave him those powers?” posed Mwendwa.
Normalisation Committee
He added: “In 2011 and 2016 Ohaga was not there and we had very smooth football elections, why is he messing up this process by clearly interfering?
We have wanted to conclude these elections since October last year, way much before time, but we have been dogged by all these funny rulings.”
Mwendwa said they respected the March 17 ruling by the SDT where Ohaga recommended to world governing body Fifa to appoint a Normalisation Committee, but once Fifa rejected the proposal and categorically noted that they would give a way forward after the end of the coronavirus pandemic, the federation boss is urgning all stakeholders to hold their horses and wait for further communication.
“Ohaga himself in his March 17 ruling, said that we had done a good job in the second election and did not cancel the branch polls, but only requested Fifa to put up a Normalisation Committee.
The request was turned down by Fifa and not FKF, so everyone must now wait for the next step from Fifa,” Mwendwa said.
