Football Kenya Federation (FKF) presidential aspirant Sam Nyamweya has termed the ongoing elections across the country as "a flawed exercise".
After two failed attempts, theFKF were finally given the green light to hold elections to elect new officials for the next four years by a local court, last Thursday.
And the Electoral Board led by chairperson Kentice Tikolo moved with speed to start the exercise, with county elections starting the process on Saturday.
However, Nyamweya, who was among the four presidential aspirants who did not present their papers to contest, claiming the exercise has already been rigged, has now described the whole process as “illegality and an exercise in futility.”
“The FKF County elections being carried out today [Saturday] September 19, 2020, is a charade, an exercise in futility and illegality,” Nyamweya said in a signed statement obtained by Goal.
“The whole exercise is riddled with illegalities, glaring electoral malpractices in total violation of the Sports Act 2013 and the constitution of Kenya 2010. Basic and universally acceptable tenets of free, fair and credible and democratic elections have been thrown out of the window and trampled underfoot.
“The FKF Electoral Board has too confirmed our worst fears that it is an appendage of the incumbent, serving the interest of the incumbent and presiding over a coronation exercise other than a credible election.
“As late as this morning the FKF Electoral Board has openly displayed their incompetence and outright bias by moving the venue of Nairobi West Branch from Pumwani to a facility owned by the outgoing NEC member for Nairobi and a member of team blue.
“Further FKF Electoral Board failed to carry out fresh nominations exercise of all the candidates and instead handed over team blue candidates nominations tickets without paying the required nomination fees and going through the nomination process.”
The statement continued: “We are being treated to a circus where we have candidates on the ballot box having not satisfied the criteria for nomination. This alone renders the whole exercise illegal, null, and void.
“The FKF Electoral board has to the advantage of team blue locked out from the voter register thousands of FKF Sub Branch teams that actively participated in FKF organised competitions by so doing denying this member clubs of FKF the opportunity to participate in the Elections. This is a violation of Fifa Statutes and the FKF constitution.
“In view of the foregoing, the only remedy available is for Fifa and the Government of Kenya to put in place a Normalisation Committee that among other things will carry out free, fair, and credible FKF elections.”
The elections will start with the County exercise set for September 19 across the country before the national elections are scheduled for October 17.
Four presidential aspirants – Herbert Mwachiro, Dan Mule, Bonface Osano, and Omondi Aduda – have been cleared to vie for the top seat against incumbent Nick Mwendwa, who will be seeking another term.
It will be the third time in a year that the FKF will be holding elections after the previous two exercises were nullified by the SDT, last December and in March.