FKF must conduct elections before term expires in February - Fifa

Fifa has ordered Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to hold its elections before the expiry of their term in February 2020.

FKF had scheduled its national elections to be held on December 7 but the Sports Disputes Tribunal annulled the process citing irregularities and ordered the next poll to be held within six months.

Fifa through its Governance Services Manager Sarah Solemale stated the elections must be held before the current term of FKF officeholders expires.

“The point of the joint Fifa-Caf mission in Nairobi is to assess the situation with respect to the cancellation of the electoral process by the Sports Disputes Tribunal. Fifa together with Caf needed to have a broad and full understanding of what is going on and what would be the next step,” Solemale told reporters.

“Fifa is closely monitoring the situation to ensure the compliance of the SDT decision is done and also within a reasonable amount of time. It is important for FKF to know that at the end of the presidential and the National Executive Committee term which is to end on February 10, 2020, elections must be held.

“Fifa is very strict about that.

“We can be flexible and give an additional month but within the first trimester of 2020 - elections must be held.”

At the SDT, FKF's electoral code of conduct was challenged and formed the basis of the cancellation of the elections and Solemale said part of her delegation to Nairobi was to ensure FKF understands the binding electoral code set by the World-governing body.

“After having read the decision of the SDT, Fifa needs to clarify that part as the Fifa electoral code of conduct was quoted and therefore it needs to clarify the same,” she added.

“The code is a standard guideline which serves as the basis for national federations to establish their own electoral code.

“The code was challenged and FKF was ordered to go through it again and give a new electoral code and the new version will be a binding document and will not be the standard Fifa electoral code.”