Hussein Mohammed (right) congratulates newly-elected Football Kenya chairman Sam Nyamweya at the national tallying centre at Kasarani on Saturday. Photo/ Chris Omollo
By Charles Nyende cnyende@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Sunday, October 30 2011 at 15:52
Posted Sunday, October 30 2011 at 15:52
IN SUMMARY
- We will follow Fifa directives and the rules of the game. We don’t want to look at the past, says Football Kenya chairman
After almost a year of repeated false starts, Football Kenya elections were finally held on Saturday with the promise of a new beginning.
Sam Nyamweya, who in recent years had become a nemesis of world soccer governing body Fifa, rose to the top seat of the chairman after garnering close to 40 per cent of the votes.
The former KFF chairman graciously accepted victory and promised to work closely with Fifa to develop the game in the country.
“We will follow Fifa directives and the rules of the game. We don’t want to look at the past,” he said in his acceptance speech.
But he will need to look at the very past if at all football in Kenya is to regain the considerable ground it lost to a decade of debilitating wrangles.
Successive football elections and concomitant disputes seemingly divided the Kenyan football family rather than uniting it as losers cried foul and proceeded to fight elected offices at every opportunity.
Hussein Mohammed, who closely lost to Nyamweya, reluctantly and bitterly conceded defeat, alleging the process was flawed and was not a true reflection of the football fraternity.
“The entire process has been done in a shoddy manner. The list of voters is contentious. The electoral code of conduct, the list of clubs, the list of names can all be contested but I will not go to court,” was his parting shot.
It was an ungracious gesture by a sore loser that showed disrespect to the 4,823 people who registered to vote including the 1,183 that voted for him.
The Interim Independent Electoral Commission in fact carried out a credible exercise that was lauded by most candidates and observers as first-class.
In a departure from the past where voting was done through a delegates system, Saturday’s exercise saw clubs and associations directly electing national officials.
The voting was done countrywide in 67 sub branches of KFF and FKL.
Sub-branch officials were elected by members drawn from clubs within the specific sub-branch while branch officials were elected by members drawn from each club in the specific branch.
Polling stations opened at 9am and closed at 12.30pm before the results of the chairman and vice-chairman’s seat starting trickling in several hours later at the national tallying centre at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
After early gains by Mohammed Hatimy it become clear that the race would be between Nyamweya and Hussein Mohammed.
The candidates were conspicuously absent from the tallying centre with the results too close to call in the initial stages but when Nyamweya, surrounded by his supporters, strutted into the tallying centre like conquering king, the writing was on the wall.
Many people will not be happy with the choice Kenyan football has made. Nyamweya has been in national football management since 1996 and a very much a part of the incessant leadership feuds and mismanagement that have taken a heavy toll on football development.
But he got the most votes in a field of eight aspirants representing old and new faces of football, including Sammy Obingo, Ambrose Rachier and Ali Mbarak.
Others were Fred Awich and Elizabeth Shako.
Deep passion for soccer
Nyamweya has shown deep passion for the game but will need more than that to turn the fortunes of Kenyan football. There is little in the form of women, youth, coaching and refereeing structures.
The national football’s body reputation is so sullied no sponsor wants to touch it. Harambee Stars, meanwhile, are ranked a lowly 135 in the world, just two places above their worst ever position in history.
“The winner should deliver what Kenyans want. Their expectations are very high,” Leodegar Tenga, the head of the Fifa team that helped set up the all inclusive elections, said.
“Football belongs to all of us,” Nyamweya said. He has four years to show that. Not many will be holding their breath
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