Kericho senator Cheruiyot urges Ababu to adhere to Fifa demands
Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot has urged news Sports Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ababu Namwamba to adhere to Fifa demands swiftly to allow the lifting of Kenya’s suspension by the world football governing body.
Cheruiyot who is a member of the Bunge football team blamed the immediate former CS Amina Mohamed for the current mess that has seen the country miss football action for a year.
“We warned the former CS Amina Mohamed in parliament that football is a global sport. We are not an Island where we can manage the sport alone, there are statutes and laws for which Kenya had signed to follow and if there were difficulties as she alleged, she could have followed the laid down procedures of ensuring she brings good order in the sport, which she ignored unfortunately,” Cheruiyot said.
He added: “Her actions led to our suspension that has seen our footballers stay in the dark for almost a year. I am heart broken because I really love football and I have invested in the sport especially in my county, because I know just like in education, football is a one silver bullet where if you get it right you can give a life chance to many people.”
Fifa suspended Kenya in February citing government interference after CS Amina disbanded the federation in November due to alleged miss use of funds.
During the ratification of the suspension at a Fifa congress meeting, Fifa president Gianni Infantino said that Kenya knew what to do to get the suspension lifted.
For Fifa to lift Kenya’s suspension, the now-defunct FKF needs to be reinstated and the elected officials allowed to resume operations at their offices.
“My advise to the new CS Ababu Namwamba is only one.
He is not new in this sector, he is a big fan of football and understands how global football runs. In February this year Fifa wrote to Amina Mohamed and laid down clear conditions which should be met first for Kenya to be re-admitted to global football competitions and if there are things we can handle locally then we can manage.
Ababu must follow the two conditions laid down by Fifa so that the suspension is lifted within a few days. There is a lot to be handled in that department, because we also don’t even have a field that meets Fifa standards,” he said.
He added: “Ababu should make football great again.”
