In a landmark verdict, the Sports Dispute Tribunal (SDT) has granted Sports CS Salim Mvurya powers to establish a Normalisation Committee should the much-awaited National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) elections set for Thursday, June 19, 2025, abort again.

In the event the elections come a cropper, then the CS-appointed Normalisation Committee will be charged with the onerous task of overseeing NOC-K affairs and ensuring a timely and lawful conduct of elections.

Allan Moli of the SDT said in his verdict: “The elections of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya Noc-K shall proceed as scheduled on the 19th of June 2025, under the supervision of the Returning Officer, of the Elections Committee, in accordance with the Noc-K constitution, and other elections rules and regulations,”

He added: “In the event that the elections of 19th of June 2025, do not take place for any reason not attributed to force majeure or external judicial restraint, the Cabinet Secretary of Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports is invited to intervene and establish a Normalization Committee to oversee NOC-K affairs and ensure timely and lawfully conduct elections.”

All has not been well in the run-up to the NOC-K election, given pending court cases presented to the Tribunal. Earlier, the SDT dismissed an appeal by Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) President Charles Nyaberi to carry the federation’s vote at the NOC-K elections.

Nyaberi had been engaged in a tussle with KVF deputy treasurer Moses Mbuthia on who should vote on behalf of the federation at the polls, set for June 19, 2025.

The eagerly-awaited NOC-K elections were postponed in April 2025, following an impasse involving four federations who were given time to enable them decide on who among their officials will carry the vote.

On June 17, 2025, the SDT explored various topics that it deemed relevant in coming to a fair determination of the matter; the first being if the term of office of NOC-K Executive committee lapsed, and If so, weather their continued operation of staying in office pending elections is justified under the principal of continuity and transitional necessity; and weather all the other claims sort by the reliefs of the other claimants were warranted in light of the scheduled elections and the reasons for their postponement.

Thursday’s election has 13 elective posts up for grabs, with outgoing Secretary General and President Francis Mutuku taking on outgoing First Vice President Shadrack Maluki.

The First Deputy President’s post has Boxing Federation of Kenya President Anthony Otieno Ombok aka Jamal taking on Barnaba Kipyego Korir of Athletics Kenya.

Eliud Anthony Kariuki and Nahashon Randiek of hockey will tussle for the post of Second Deputy President.

Kenya Table Tennis Association (KTTA) boss Andrew Mudibo is lined up against John Ogolla of weightlifting.

Deputy Secretary General’s post has Francis Njeru Karugu of Softball up against Kenya’s rugby sevens legend Humphrey Emonyi Kayange.