Was Amina right to disband FKF?
by Charles Thuku @PeopleSports11 The wheat is expected to be separated from the chaff today when a Nairobi court rules as to whether it was justifiable for Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed to disband the Football Kenya Federation (FKF).
Anxiety has gripped football fans in the country ahead of the landmark ruling by Milimani Court after the CS banished the federation led by Nick Mwendwa last November over alleged graft.
FKF rushed to court two days before they were disbanded, questioning the manner in which the CS had handled the process and termed it as flawed.
According to the Sports Act 2013, the Registrar of Sports is the one tasked to call for an audit of any federation, receive the report of the outcome and task the federation in question to explain any inappropriateness identified, before recommending action.
Amina made the weighty decision after she received an 86-page report on the investigations into the massive fraud reported at the body, the major of which is the alleged embezzlement of the Sh245 million meant for Harambee Stars’ preparations for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations held in Egypt.
The firebrand CS went ahead to install a caretaker committee to lead the government’s efforts to reform the body even as the world body declared that it was illegality to decree it in as much as it was to dissolve the federation.
Amina said the committee would run Kenyan football for the next six months with effect from November 7, 2021, ahead of the enactment of a new constitution which would then be handed to Fifa pending fresh federation elections.
The committee is chaired by retired Justice Aaron Ringera while other members include Hassan Haji, Elisha Kiplagat, Anthony Isayi, General Retired Moses Oyugi and Fatma Adan.
As the corridors of justice prepare to make a ruling on the legitimacy of the federation’s dissolution, it will come only a day after the expiry tenure of the committee in which it was formed to govern the sport pending elections.
Massive corruption Despite Fifa having suspended Kenya over what it termed as government interference in the sport, Amina has stood her ground citing massive corruption in the federation.
“Over the past few years, the Football Kenya Federation has faced several governance issues that have been of great concern to the Ministry. First, the Football Kenya Federation has failed to account for all the monies allocated to it by the Government,” Amina said.
In a letter addressed to the ministry in early November 2021, Fifa stated it would not recognise the 15-member caretaker committee and has demanded that it be scrapped, among other conditions it has set, to reinstate Kenya in international football.
The football governing body holds the position that the committee is undoubtedly contrary to their principles according to which all of the member associations, including FKF, are required to manage their affairs independently and without undue influence from any third parties.
Fifa further warned that the installation of the committee could potentially lead to a suspension of the FKF by Fifa which it ultimately did. Should the court rule against Amina today, it will impact negatively on the taxpayers of which the eighteen clubs have been getting courtesy of the ministry.
After Amina enacted the federation, each of the participating clubs was receiving Sh300,000 each which had been reduced from Sh800,000.
