This archive report was first published on 3 November 2019.
On December 7, Football Kenya Federation (FKF) will hold its elections, but the contest is already looking one-sided. The Electoral Board has confirmed that President Nick Mwendwa and his deputy Doris Petra have no opponents.
According to the Electoral Board, 355 candidates have been cleared to vie for various positions in the polls, including those of the National Executive Committee (NEC), County/Branch officials, and Youth and Women Representatives. However, more than half of these aspirants have no competitors.
Among those with no opponents are the nine NEC members representing different regions, who are all part of Mwendwa's Team Blue line-up. The NEC is FKF's highest decision-making organ.
FKF Electoral Board chairman Edwin Wamukoya described the lack of competition as 'curious'. 'My team waited for days for aspirants to come for nomination papers but they didn't show up,' he explained.
President Mwendwa downplayed the lack of competition, citing examples of Fifa president Gianni Infantino and Kikuyu lawmaker Kimani Ichungwa who were elected unopposed in recent elections. However, he acknowledged that there have been complaints and murmurs, and even court cases, which he believes would have been better addressed through participation in the process.
Meanwhile, a group of stakeholders, including seasoned politicians Moses Akaranga and Alex Ole Magelo, Nairobi businessman Simon Mburu, and Mwendwa's predecessor Sam Nyamweya, have expressed interest in FKF's presidency but will not participate in the ongoing polling process due to concerns that it is skewed in favour of the incumbent. They have moved to the Sports and Disputes Tribunal to plead their case.
