An outpouring of interested parties seeking to be enjoined in Football Kenya Federation’s (FKF) petition against Registrar of Sports Rose Wasike forced the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) to defer full hearing until next Tuesday.

Twenty-two aggrieved sub-branches  sought to be enjoined enlisted in the case after sports journalist Milton Nyakundi’s application was granted. SDT directed that the sub-branches consolidate their applications ahead of Tuesday’s commencement to proceedings.

FKF petitioned SDT regarding Wasike’s hard stance that the federation must hold elections in full compliance with Sports Act 2013. FKF want’s the registrar to let the elections proceed as the federation gradually attains compliance.

Full compliance

However, the last elections in 2016 was held under the same conditions but FKF failed to meet the criteria set by the Sports Act 2013 in the four years they have been in office and now want the SDT to grant them similar wishes.

While Nyakundi seeks to be enjoined as a journalist who was consulting for the federation at the time the Registrar allowed the 2016 elections to proceed on condition that full compliance to the Sports Act will follow, the sub branches have a slightly different prayer.

Exclusion from elections

Federation elections have traditionally started at the grass roots level with the sub branches being FKF’s lowest cadre. However, a change in the constitution last year delinked the sub branches from FKF’s hierarchy and last month’s Special General Meeting reaffirmed their exclusion from the elections under current judicial contest.

FKF Chief Executive Barry Otieno disclosed that the hard stance on exclusion of sub-branches was in line with FIFA’s directives that a member federation cannot change constitution before two years elapse.

“The only reason why sub branches cannot be included in the process is because it will amount to breaching FIFA regulations. As a member federation, we cannot change constitution and then change again in under two years. That would be a serious breach and consequently attract sanctions from FIFA,” Otieno said in the run up to last month’s SGM

Sub branch officials also contend that they are the grassroots and elections must start from there. Cutting them out would delink football from the grass root managers.

Nandi North and South, Uasing Gishu, Migori, Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Nyamira, Kisii, Busia, Mombasa, Wajir, Mandera and Lugari are some of the sub branches that seek to be enjoined in the petition as interested parties.

As the court battle rages, the newly-reconstituted FKF Elections Board continues to discharge its duties and has been receiving interests from aspirants in various branches.