CHOOSE WISELY

Let's ensure above-board elections for Football Kenya Federation

The development is a big relief for tens of thousands of Kenyan football fans who had grown impatient after excruciating years of waiting.

In Summary

•We must have a legally instituted and elected national football governing body if we want to turn around the fortunes of our football terrain.

•Elections held above the board guarantee the honesty and openness of the decision-making processes.

FKF Nairobi East Branch Women Rep Ann Aluoch with Amos Otieno (chairman) and Henry Majale Secretary General of Mathare United Women during campaigns for FKF Nairobi East Branch elections
FKF Nairobi East Branch Women Rep Ann Aluoch with Amos Otieno (chairman) and Henry Majale Secretary General of Mathare United Women during campaigns for FKF Nairobi East Branch elections
Image: /FILE

The development is a big relief for millions of Kenyan football fans who had grown impatient after excruciating years of waiting.

We must have a legally instituted and elected national football governing body if we want to turn around the fortunes of our football terrain.

Elections held above the board guarantee the honesty and openness of the decision-making processes.

This, subsequently, improves the reputation of the governing body by fostering trust among stakeholders and the general public.

The national football governing body builds a solid foundation for sound corporate governance by upholding election principles.

This ultimately helps the whole football community by encouraging fairness, accountability, and effective decision-making.

The selection of the best talent for leadership roles in the governing body is ensured by the selection of people who can guide the national team to victory in the global arena.

Transparent elections give all candidates an equal opportunity to compete. This increases public trust in the governing body’s leadership and the process of choosing its members.

The public’s confidence is essential for rallying support for the national team, drawing in sponsors and igniting interest in the sport.

Certain actions can be taken to guarantee a free, fair and transparent voting process.

One way is to clearly define the rules and requirements for candidates, such as the code of ethics, financial disclosures and eligibility requirements.

Enforcing these regulations consistently is necessary to preserve the process’s integrity.

We must also form an Independent Election Commission to supervise and manage the elections. The impartial committee should comprise people with the requisite experience, objectivity and independence.

Fortunately, FKF has already made a step in that direction after the delegates approved the establishment of a new Electoral Board to supervise the next elections scheduled for December.

Hesborn Owilla, James Waindi, Marceline Sande, Dan Mule and Alfred Ngang’a comprise the board’s five members. Robert Asembo and Farida Juma are standby members. We can only hope their work will be beyond reproach.

We must also establish a culture of encouraging an open nomination process that allows interested parties to submit their names for consideration. This makes it possible for a varied pool of candidates and guarantees the governing body will have awide range of viewpoints and voices.

The change to the 2020 Electoral Code is perceived as an attempt to increase the number of qualified applicants for the FKF presidency.

Instead of the previous three-year requirement, candidates must demonstrate they have been actively involved in football-related matters for at least two years.

This modification, approved by 89 delegates, is a part of larger reforms meant to improve the federation’s governance structures.

The voter lists and candidacies’ biographies must be availed to the public and a thorough explanation of the voting procedure done to erase any doubts. This enables voters to make well-informed decisions.

To guarantee adherence to rules and process integrity, audits and observations should be carried out regularly during the elections. External auditors or an impartial oversight body may be involved in this.

The country can cultivate trust, draw in the greatest talent, and increase public confidence in sports by upholding the values of openness, honesty, merit-based selection, and good governance.