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Tikolo trashes controversial federation’s draft constitution

Wednesday, April 29th, 2020 00:00 | By
Tom Tikolo addresses members of the media during a past function at Nairobi Club. Photo/PD/WEBSTER NYANDIKA

Cricket Kenya (CK) is at a full-blow war and it is now evident that individual interests are taking root especially now that the constitutional making process is getting muddy and stimulating.

That the board is split down the middle is no longer a secret even as Cricket Kenya Constitutional Review Committee (CKRC) readies itself for collection of views and subsequent amendments and publication of a final document. 

The two sub-committees (administrative committee and Constitutional Review Committee) that were mandated by the High Court ruling of March last year had their terms elapse in September 2019.

The Executive Committee’s term is meant to end May 10 with expectations of a constitution being passed and elections held.

However, with the variant discord in the board and the CKRC, another stalemate is brewing and quickly throwing  Kenya’s cricket in a quandaray, with vested interests  coming to the fore each coming day as pundits predict  a bleak future for the sport. 

All indications seem to point that another installment of courtroom drama awaits even as a threat of a looming ban and freezing of financial aid by International Cricket Council (ICC) beckons.

The situation is made worse because of hardliner stances by various factions that are taking root to either trash or support the draft document released on April 22 to members for consultation.

“We passed a document that was fairly proper so we want to see the outcome of public participation. From where I sit, the game has to go beyond our ego and reach the masses out there.

It is the only way to develop the sport. Those who have a problem with that fact are the real problem in this business and should be left out. 

The people who are advocating for term extensions at CK after overstaying their tenure are dragging us back and it is unacceptable,” said Kennedy Obuya; a member of CKRC and also a member of the Board who has backed the process that has been a journey of nearly two years. 

He was backed by Interim CK vice chairman Harpal Singh who accused the detractors of creating a shadow fight to confuse the process and negotiate unreasonable demands.

On his part, Tom Tikolo who is an interim Director of Development and member of the Executive Council questioned the rationale of the document in the public which had flaws. 

“We went as a group in Mombasa late last year with the aim of effecting some few adjustments to the draft.

We were joined by senior legal heads including constitutional lawyer Ekuru Aukot, former Deputy Chief Justice Nancy Baraza and the Sports Registrar Rose Wasike to comb through all details. 

“Unfortunately when we returned to Nairobi, another section of the board put out a very different document.

We did not sit and agree on this document because it had mistakes and this tells you there is a sinister motive.

Now we have someone else off the board sending out a document not authorised by the council. So, really that is an outsider who in fact has no mandate because the term ended last September.

The board was to do public participation and thereafter publication but this is not forthcoming because some people want to overrule others and negate progress so indeed the process followed was very wrong,” said Tikolo in a statement shared on email. 

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