Just like Hussein Mohammed and his running mate Mcdonald Mariga’s campaign tagline, it’s officially a ‘Fresh Start’ for the Kenyan football.
This is after political tension of Football Kenya Federation (FKF) elections descended at Saturday’s elective Special General Meeting (SGM) at Kasarani Gymnasium.
Mohammed, an experienced football administrator, was second time lucky after he was finally elected the new FKF president hence ushering in a new dawn in the country’s most followed game.
Mohammed garnered 67 votes in the second round as delegates entrusted him with the mandate to restore Kenya’s lost glory.
A total number of 90 delegates drawn from 46 branches, 43 clubs and Kenya Footballers’ Association (KEFWA) representative converged at the historic venue to decide the future of the Kenyan game which has been bedeviled by wrangles, mismanagement, embezzlement of funds and lack of standardised stadiums for a while.
Mohammed succeeds Nick Mwendwa whose bid to remain at Kandanda House failed after Doris Petra finished second with 31 votes, nine votes behind Mohammed before she eventually conceded defeat ahead of the runoff. She went ahead to get one vote in the second round same as former FKF CEO Barry Otieno.
“I appreciate everybody who supported me. I tried my best, but it was not my day. I concede to Hussein Mohammed as the next FKF president. I will try next time,” said Petra amidst cheers from Mohammed’s fans.
Newly elected Central National Executive Committee member Robert Macharia termed Mohammed’s as a huge relief to Kenyan football.
“It’s an overwhelming feeling. It is always not easy to get incumbent out of office because they have all powers. We didn’t have same level of playing ground but we made it. We are happy to have taken the leadership of the game. Things are bad, but we will make them better,” said Macharia, who’s also Murang’a SEAL chairman.
Barry Otieno collected 10 votes, Kakamega Homeboyz chairman and owner Cleophas Shimanyula (4), Sammy Owino (2) and Tom Alila (1). Sam Ochola and Chris Amimo got zero.
To legalise the process despite Petra’s verbal withdrawal, FKF Electoral Board chairman Hesbon Owilla called for a run off for the first three candidates after the winner failed to garner 50+1 votes.
Having seen his presidential ambitions dealt a blow in 2011, the Extreme Sports CEO has brilliantly made a comeback with his camp garnering seven National Executive Committee members seats as he aims to restore the federation’s reputational damage. Charles Njoka (Eastern), Caleb Amwayi (Western), Mohamed Dabar (North Eastern), Robert Macharia (Central), Collins Opiyo (Nyanza), Peter Kamau (Lower Rift) and Dan Shikanda (Nairobi) newly elected NEC members were all allied to Team Fresh Start. Gabriel Mghendi retained his Coast NEC member seat, Bernard Lagat clinched the Upper Rift Valley post, while Violet Kerubo Momanyi won the Women’s Representative NEC member seat.
Despite seven of his NEC members being elected, Mohammed had to achieve his dreams the hard way through the run off.
However, the game changer ahead of the second round came when Barry Otieno publicly declined advances from Petra on the floor to join Mohammed’s camp alongside Cleophas Shimanyula and KEFWA president James Situma. Sensing danger Petra concede defeat ahead of the second round.
“Thank you for choosing football, I ran for presidency but I wasn’t lucky. I want concede officially,” Barry Otieno said.
The tension was evident from onset with the exercise which was initially expected to start at 9am delayed for over two hours with some of candidates rumoured to be forming coalitions. There was a beehive of activities on most candidates’ camps on the eve of the eagerly anticipated exercise with candidates lobbying for votes.
But when the exercise eventually kicked off, chaos suddenly erupted during the verification of the crucial voting materials as some candidates were accused of illegally continuing with campaigns and bribing delegates within the elections hall premises forcing the election officials to temporarily stop it. Prior to this, two camps of supporters almost got into a physical alteration at the arena’s main entrance as tension intensified.
It was almost the same situation outside the hall as police engaged supporters of different candidates in running battles and lobbed teargas to disperse the crowd that had gathered at the Kasarani Stadium main gate.
However, like the real boss of the day, FKF Electoral Board chairman Hesbon Owilla quickly intervened, and contained the situation in the arena. He read a riot act to the delegates who had sneaked out of the hall, warning to block them from participating in the elections.
“Be warned, the campaign period is over and those who are out will not be allowed in. We are closing the doors and we will not open them until we are done with the voting exercise,” said Owilla.
Once normalcy was restored after security reinforcement, the exercise went on smoothly until the entire NEC was elected.
