•Like his predecessor Ababu Namwamba, the new Sports CS might spend his first days at the ministry tearing his hair over the string of problems plaguing the local sports terrain.
•Murkomen, like Ababu, should be fully equipped to deal with the complexities of the slithery Kenyan football landscape.
Image: EZEKIEL AMING'A
The fifteenth floor of Talanta Plaza in Upper Hill, Nairobi, houses the hot seat recently taken by Sports CS Kipchumba Murkomen, 45.
Right from his faux leather high-back office chair, Murkomen is expected to rummage through the obstinate stack of in-trays glaring at him.
Like his predecessor Ababu Namwamba, the new Sports CS might spend his first days at the ministry tearing his hair over the string of problems plaguing the local sports terrain.
He finds himself steeped in the conflicts that strained the limits of his predecessor's short but productive reign.
His main challenge, aside from combating the drug epidemic plaguing the athletics scene, will be to streamline the operations of the troubled Football Kenya Federation. The FKF elections will be at the top of his priority list.
The local football governing body is embroiled in drawn-out disputes with opposing camps. Nobody knows when elections will be held anymore, thanks to persistent postponement that has only helped to lengthen the term of the incumbent office.
“I'm aware of the problems at our sports federations. Those are things we shall deal with immediately we are in office,” Murkomen said.
“Our sports needs to move forward. We must find ways to reclaim our lost glory.”
He made the remarks while being screened for the cabinet secretary position by a Parliamentary committee spearheaded by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula.
READY FOR TASK
The uncertainty hovering over the FKF has become a source of frustration for Kenyan sports fans.
Murkomen said he is not quaking in his boots despite the daunting task that lies ahead. He pledged to fight and crush anything threatening to derail his lofty goals and aspirations.
He fired a warning shot at FKF officials, telling them to prepare for looming changes that he did not specify.
FKF has warned the government not to meddle with football as doing so could provoke some wrath from Fifa, the world football governing body.
Stakeholders are apprehensive that further delays might jeopardise Kenya’s chances of hosting the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations alongside neighbours Uganda and Tanzania.
While screening Murkomen, Wetangula, said it would be foolish for the nation to live in fear of a potential Fifa response.
"We can no longer be held captive by Fifa and FKF. Nigeria's administration said they were prepared to go without football for a spell while they organised their affairs in response to Fifa's threat of a suspension,” Wetangula said.
“They were eager to clean the mess in the country's football, something they finally managed to do. I don't see why we should fear taking that path.”
Murkomen moved to assure him that he would not submit to any pressure and that he expected FKF officials to leave office when their contracts expired.
"Officials must resign office once they have completed their full term. We cannot have somebody occupy an office for more than eight years. We can think about giving them alternative work, but they must go when their contracts expire," Murkomen said.
The fierce rivalries hampering FKF elections have exhausted the patience of the dominant East African sports nation.
NAMWAMBA'S PARTING SHOT
Days after losing his job, immediate former Sports CS Ababu Namwamba asked the federation to schedule elections right away.
He knows what he is talking about. Ababu is credited with salvaging the nation from the jaws of Fifa when Kenya was locked out of international football following past interference by the government.
“My parting shot, FKF, the entire fraternity of FKF, you are sitting on a diamond mine,” he said.
“I implore that you make sure elections are sorted out. Make sure that the environment is clear and you run football in a manner that will make Kenya the envy when it comes to football in this region.
“There is no reason our players should be finding Tanzania a more attractive league than ours.”
Namwamba said he had given guarantees to the Confederation of African Football that Kenya would not disappoint in hosting the African Cup of Nations 2027 as one of his last tasks before exiting the Ministry.
There was drama after the High Court reversed a decision stopping the local football governing body from proceeding with an Annual General Meeting initially planned for March 16.
The meeting was aborted after disgruntled stakeholders moved to the corridors of justice, claiming the Nick Mwendwa-led administration that came into office in 2016 was in office illegally and had no mandate to carry out the polls.
The troubles of the beleaguered federation began after former Sports CS Amina Mohammed dissolved it and constituted a caretaker committee to administer football in the country.
The move came after FKF was implicated in a graft case involving close to Sh130 million that had been set aside for Harambee Stars’ preparations ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
The government’s decision attracted an indefinite ban from the world football governing body, Fifa, which accused the government of third-party interference.
Nick Mwendwa and his team eventually found their way back into Kandanda House again following a heightened campaign by Amina's successor Namwamba, who held fruitful meetings with Fifa.
Speaking during the FKF awards gala at the Safari Park Hotel a fortnight ago, Mwendwa said his team was ready to pave the way for the elusive elections.
The FKF honcho assured stakeholders that elections would be held in October.
“There are no more court cases, they are over. If you want to continue with the good job that has been going on, start preparing your papers, we meet at the ballot in October,” a confident Mwendwa said.
AK EQUALLY TROUBLED
FKF will not be the only headache for Murkomen. Several other sports federations need to clean their act as well.
Senate majority leader Aaron Cheruiyot criticised Athletics Kenya, saying the organisation lacked clarity in its operations.
He said there was a misunderstanding that would probably have a detrimental effect on both national sports and the participants' preparation for international tournaments.
Cheruiyot requested the then Sports CS Namwamba to take the initiative in finding a lasting solution.
To end the impasse, the Kericho senator urged the CS to call a meeting of pertinent officials and stakeholders, including the athletes.
"I humbly ask that the minister take the lead in this dialogue, speak up more and keep the nation informed so that we are all set, aware of the plan, and our athletes, sportsmen and sportswomen won't lose their potential because of union disputes," he said.
The Nairobi High Court issued an order on March 7, mandating the immediate resignation of the AK executive committee.
In addition, Justice Lawrence Mugambi declared that the incumbent officers are ineligible to run for office. He gave the AK 90 days to examine the 2016 constitution.
Cheruiyot expressed concerns about the situation at the national athletics organisation. The current President Jack Tuwei was elected in 2015, the last time AK held general elections. Elections were later scheduled for 2017 after 10 aspirants filed a lawsuit to halt the process.
“I want to plead and request the leadership of Athletics Kenya and all those people who are in court, in honour of Kelvin Kiptum and all the athletes who suffer because of challenges in our federations, let us make sure that the year does not end before we conduct elections," he said.
Time will tell if Murkomen possesses the mojo to right the wrongs on the Kenyan sports terrain.