Football Kenya Federation delegates during yesterday’s Annual General Meeting in Mombasa voted 74 to 70 to adopt a new constitution with amendments.
But before the draft was put to the vote, FKF abandoned the contentious proposal to extend the term of office to three of four years each.
According to Sports Act 2013, office holders of any sports federation in Kenya are only eligible for re-election for one term of four years for a total of eight years.
This is in direct contrast with FIFA, the global football body, statutes that allows three terms of office of four years each for a total of twelve years.
Kenyan laws are superior to any other laws as was proclaimed by High Court judge Mumbi Ngungi in a case between FKF and Kenyan Premier League a couple of years back.
But there are a thousand or more ways to skin a cat.
Like a script straight from Issa Hayatou’s rule book, the Nick Mwendwa led body still had their way in ensuring that they will have a third bite at the cherry if they so wish.
Hayatou is the immediate former CAF president who was famous for bending the rules to perpetuate his near three-decade grip on power.
To start with, the current FKF office’s mandate expires in 2020 the year the new laws will take effect hence giving them a fresh beginning of a possible two terms.
In defense of the move, FKF’s media officer Barry Otieno, explained that it would not have happened any other way.
“If the new laws were to take effect immediately, then someone would have moved to court to force fresh elections, so we weighed all options,” Barry told Soka25east.
