NAIROBI, Kenya, August 8- Newly elected members of the Kenya Motor Sports Federation Board of Directors will meet on Tuesday to appoint a new chairman of the local motor sports governing body.
Outgoing chairman, Jim Kahumbura, Ben Muchemi and Bimal Patel were replaced by Kevin McCourt, Kenya Rally Drivers Association chairman (KRDA) Chairman Mark Tilbury and Peter Kinyua while Dr. Sunil Vinayak was given another term to help revitalize the poor state of Motor Sports in the country.
They will now form a new board with the remaining three Directors Surinder Thatthi, John Rose and Dave Macharia who have one more term to go before stepping down.
“I am extremely happy to see a change at the top organs of the motor sports body which has recently seen egoistic decisions that have hurt the sport badly. Impunity has to come to an end. I am sure the new team can achieve that in order to put back confidence in our sponsors and the competitors,’’ said Macharia.
After allegedly sensing defeat after almost four hours of heated debate concerning the eligibility of the East African Motor Sports participation at Sunday’s elections, Kahumbura withdrew is nomination from seeking another term as KMSF Director.
“I decided it was not worth coming back. It has been tiresome and difficult tenure for me and I feel relieved that I am out of the system I can now enjoy the sport as a spectator,’’ said Kahumbura
Banning of Karting from the umbrella of the motor sports governing body, sideling of members of the KRDA from the Rallies Commission, a recent petition signed by members of motor sports fraternity and sponsor’s disillusion, are among the major issues which had come into public domain.
Rallies Commission Chairman Ashok Bhalla and the 2011 KCB Safari Rally Event Director Dali Kalsi, failed to secure enough votes to elevate their ambitions.
Attempts, similar to the ones encountered during last year’s KMSF AGM were again put in place this year but faced fierce opposition.
Security guards were hired to block unwanted guests, especially members of the press and anyone who did not appear in the list of those cleared by the management.
Once inside, it took over three hours to divert attempts by members of a certain club from derailing the election. It took the intervention of the Commission of Sports; Gordon Olouch to make sure the process was carried out without delay.
“I hope the new group will make the difference as it takes over from the previous team with a sense of direction to this once a winning federation. The Government will support the officials as they take over,’’ said Commissioner of Sports.
He was also quick to point out at the weakness of the federation for failing to acquire government land which was availed 15 years ago when Richard Njoba was the chairman of the Competitions Committee under the umbrella of Automobile Association of Kenya.
He added: “Rugby, which has come into limelight just recently, has already overtaken KMSF in acquiring a land with government subsidy of over Shs.60m for the project.
The new team faces a major task to make sure the sport does not drop further in its rating and is able also to convince KCB to stay with the sport for a longer period.
”Transparency and accountability by motor sports clubs will have to be monitored to make sure members are presented fairly at all levels. The team will have to look into certain clubs which are also allowed to operate as business ventures under KMSF, and also if Clubs hold AGMs according to the constitution,’’ said one official.
Clubs are also said to be unhappy with certain officials of the KMSF, whose continued interference in the running of KNRC rallies makes it hard to manage the sport independently and fairly.
