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Television pundit and sports commentator Herbert Mwachiro has joined the increasing list of candidates out to oust Nick Mwedwa from the position of Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president.

Mwachiro, a St Mary’s alumnus, will be taking on his former boss Mwendwa as he was in charge of the failed bid to host the 2018 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) took away the country’s hosting rights following reservations about Kenya’s preparedness.

He also served as FKF’s Deputy CEO under Mwendwa’s regime but this will be his biggest battle yet given the race has also attracted former FKF boss Sam Nyamweya, ex-Cecafa secretary general Nicholas Musonye, Gor Mahia CEO Lodvick Aduda and Ex-FKF National Executive Committee Member Fahim Twaha. 

“I, Herbert Mwachiro, hereby declare my candidature for the post of Football Kenya Federation president ahead of the upcoming polls.

My decision to run for the top football seat in the country is informed by the desire to transform the football industry to a sustainable sector that will put Kenya where it deserves to be on the continental and global football map.

While meaningful progress,” said Mwachiro in a statement sent to the media yesterday.

He added: “While meaningful progress has been made under different administrations over the past decade, the main stakeholders of the game who are players continue to suffer and struggle to make ends meet.

The game is not well packaged thus the need to bring in the much needed professionalism through my marketing background and vast experience in the corporate world.

We need to package our game in a way that will make it attractive to partners and ensure our players make a meaningful living from football.”

Mwachiro said he will seek to not only lift all tiers of club football, but also youth, grassroots and women football through commercial partnerships and in collaboration with the government to ensure the smallest units (wards, constituencies and counties) contribute to football development. 

“Kenya deserves to be a regular competitor at the Africa Cup of Nations because we have talent in abundance in all corners of this country.

My team will partner with all relevant football stakeholders to build strong leagues and solid structures that Kenyan football badly needs to move to the next level.

It’s high time football makes headlines for the right reasons. When football succeeds, sports succeeds,” said Mwachiro.