Doris Petra and Chris Amimo are the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) presidential candidates that were conspicuously missing during the second FKF presidential debate that was held on Monday, November 4, 2024.
Also missing was Sam Nyamweya who is seeking to return to the football front, having been ousted as the FKF boss in 2016 by incumbent Nick Mwendwa.
Six candidates presented themselves to sell their manifesto at the FKF debate.
Barry Otieno, Sammy Owino, Hussein Mohamed, Sam Ochola, Cleopas Shimanyula and Tom Alila are the candidates that showed up.
FKF candidates’ visions
During the debate, candidates that showed up laid out their visions to revitalize Kenyan football.
Hussein Mohamed promised to deal with what he termed as coercion, intimidation and blackmail that come from FKF to an extend of scaring away sponsors.
“When you talk about sponsors running away from grassroots football, it is because of the coercion, intimidation and blackmail that came from FKF, and we have to tackle that without fear or favour,” he stated.
Hussein Mohammed: When you talk about sponsors running away from grassroots football, it is because of the coercion, intimidation and blackmail that came from FKF, and we have to tackle that without fear or favour. #FKFDebate2024 pic.twitter.com/VuVlInzxDl
— K24 TV (@K24Tv) November 4, 2024
However, Sammy Kempes argued that Kenya doesn’t have a brand that can attract sponsors, thus the need to raise the standards of FKF Premier League.
“The issue of money is our biggest problem, and I think it is obvious to me that there is a deficit in the federation. There is integrity deficit, and that impacts on how people trust us to give us money. The other thing is we don’t have a brand that attracts sponsors,” Kempes said.
Sam Kempes: Money is our biggest problem, we don't have a brand that attracts sponsors. Our Kenyan league is not attractive, we need to raise the standards of our FKF league. People don't just go to games and watch, people go to games to be entertained.#FKFdebate2024 pic.twitter.com/mMToDOO8M4
— K24 TV (@K24Tv) November 4, 2024
Barry Otieno was, however, at pains to explain why FKF premier league could not attract corporate sponsors during the time he served as the FKF CEO.
“We, when I was at the federation, we share contracts with the club chairman but there are also internal issues among clubs and internal politics that we are not in charge of,” Barry Otieno stated.
Does it bother you that for the last 5 years, you’ve been the second most powerful person in Kenyan football yet our league could not attract corporate sponsors?
— K24 TV (@K24Tv) November 4, 2024
Barry Otieno: When I was at the federation, we share contracts with the club chairman but there are also internal… pic.twitter.com/Iejf5s2j78
First FKF debate
It should be noted that during the recent Football Kenya Federation (FKF) presidential debates, the first of its kind, Doris Petra was absent.
This year’s election has nine candidates competing to succeed current president Nick Mwendwa, whose term ends on December 7, 2024.
Doris Petra, currently the FKF vice president, has garnered attention as she aims to become the federation’s first female president.
She and other candidates like Barry Otieno and Sam Nyamweya have presented varied approaches to issues such as grassroots football development, league funding, and preparation for the upcoming 2026 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which Kenya will co-host with Uganda and Tanzania.
