By Herbert Mwachiro
FKF Presidential Aspirant
Fair play is central to football. It is the foundation on which the sport is built. Fair play is a complex concept that comprises and embodies a number of fundamental values that are not only integral to sport.
It is relevant in everyday life including fair competition, respect, friendship, team spirit, equality, sport without doping, respect for written and unwritten rules such as integrity, solidarity, tolerance, care, excellence and joy as articulated by the International Fair Play Committee.
For football to flourish in Kenya fair play has to be learnt, experienced, promoted and protected both on and off the field.
Kenya’s football fraternity ensured that Fair Play was one of the key foundations on which Kenya’s football would be built when they passed a new constitution in 2017.
The Constitution of Football Kenya Federation (2017) instructs that the FKF objectives must be carried out, “in the spirit of fair play”, that the FKF must promote “fair play”, and that every person and organization involved in football must “observe the principles of fair play”.
It is disappointing to note that over the last year football in Kenya has been run in a manner that goes completely against all principles of fair play.
Even worse, the FKF is being run currently without a legal mandate and this threatens the future of the beautiful game in Kenya.
The Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) has cancelled FKF elections twice. (The Sports Disputes Tribunal was formed under the Sports Act 2013 and its main role is to hear and give verdicts on appeals against decisions made by sports teams and other sports bodies in Kenya.)
In December 2019 elections were cancelled over an improper electoral code and an irregularly constituted electoral board.
However, the SDT allowed the FKF National Executive Committee (NEC) members to remain in office to facilitate fresh elections.
In March 2020, the SDT was forced to intervene again over discriminatory eligibility rules in the electoral code which had been tailored to fit the incumbent.
This time the SDT felt that the NEC was beyond redemption and ordered them to vacate office and currently as it stands there is NO NEC in office.
Unfortunately, the key victims of all this underhand behaviour are those who make a living from football, such as our footballers, coaches and referees.
That this unsporting behaviour by those who are tasked with protecting the sport happens in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic when our society, health and economy is under stress means we no longer have the luxury of time.
Hunger, health and housing issues threaten the football community in Kenya. FKF Members must act swiftly to save Kenyan football.
The Constitution of the FKF makes it clear that the FKF exists to protect the interests of its Members.
It is clear beyond reasonable doubt that without a NEC in office football operations are limited.
Therefore, it causes that the FKF General Assembly, the supreme and legislative body of FKF, must act swiftly and decisively to protect football.
FKF members must now call a Special General Assembly (SGM) under Article 31 of the FKF Constitution which compels the NEC to convene an SGM, “if more than 50% of the delegates representing the Members of FKF make such a request in writing.”
The agenda of this SGM will be to:
1. Appoint an interim committee to oversight the election process of Kenyan football immediately.
2. The Electoral Board meets with stakeholders to draw up the electoral road map and agree on the electoral code in place. FKF members have the power to clean their own house.
FKF members have a responsibility to all who make a living from football, such as our players, coaches and referees, to put our affairs in order.
FKF Members need to call an SGM as soon as possible. FKF members must return Fair Play to the heart of Kenya football. They owe it to our future generations.
