NAIROBI, Kenya, October 18- Athletics Kenya (AK) rolled out their draft new constitution on Tuesday and gave stakeholders a month to scrutinise it and propose amendments before it is put up to members for adoption.
The 48-page document that was drafted by a committee chaired by the federation’s legal officer, Genaro Kibet spells out how the local athletics will be run and is a culmination of a five-year process that has been beset by controversy at a number of stages.
“From the onset, the constitution is being made for posterity, it is not meant to meet the interest of the individuals. Some people thought the constitution is meant to suit certain people or certain regions, let me make this clear, it is meant for Kenya,” AK chair, Isaiah Kiplagat charged.
Among the highlight changes contained in the draft will see the holder of the powerful post of federation Secretary General (SG) hired externally by the Executive Committee in a competitive process and the holder will be the CEO of the federation.
The SG who was previously elected at the Annual General Meetings in an election year will be a member of the Executive Committee upon appointment.
The AK executive and council had been divided in the process of making the constitution over the SG post with some quarters within the corridors of the federations’ Riadha House headquarters reading the move as an attempt to cut David Okeyo, the long serving office holder, down to size.
If the new proposals are passed, AK will have four vice-presidents in the national executive committee as opposed to two under the current order in the other radical departure under the current rule.
AK Branches will stand dissolved and will be replaced by Regional Federations in line with Kenya’s new constitution that brought the rise of Counties as opposed to provincial administration.
Disciplined forces and universities affiliated to the federation will be accorded the status of Institutional Members with the same rights as Regional Federations.
Under the new order, AK’s Executive Committee still retains sweeping powers with the roles of the ‘Big Three’, chairman, SG and Honorary Treasurer continuing to call the shots in the federation.
“We believe we have a document worth your time. As a country, we are in the mood of constitution making and the current constitution had to change with time,” Kibet stated.
He added: “We have tried to align this draft with the provisions of the new constitution such as affirmative action and it also includes the addition of an advisory board in line with requirements of (world body) IAAF that will make decisions in case of urgency.”
AK vice-chair, Paul Mutwii, Okeyo, Treasurer, Joseph Kinyua and public relations officer, Peter Angwenyi were the other members of the constitution committee.
Copies of the draft were distributed after Tuesday’s AK Council Meeting to the members, federation affiliates, National Olympics Committee of Kenya, Government and media houses.
Proposed amendments from stakeholders will be channelled through to the secretary general until November 18 when they will be collected and the constitution committee will then effect any changes.
An AGM will be called thereafter where the amended draft will be put through a vote and if it passes, will subsequently be adopted as the AK set of rules.
