NAIROBI, Kenya, February 16- Football Kenya Federation and Kenyan Premier League have until Wednesday to unlock their impasse over the 2015 top tier league or Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and Arts, Dr. Hassan Wario will turn to the Sports Act to find a solution.
Both sides failed to come to agreement in a stormy meeting at the minister’s offices in Nairobi on Monday with KPL chairman, Ambrose Rachier, briefly addressing the media after upon the conclusion of the talks as the country awaits an end to the impasse that has led to parallel leagues.
“In short we have been told to sit down and resolve the matter, if we do not at the end of Wednesday the ministry will take action as advised under the Sports Act.
“We have always been open for discussion and we remain open to fruitful discussions,” Rachier said.
FKF president, Sam Nyamweya, declined to comment with Wario just offering, “Hopefully we shall get an amicable solution by Wednesday,” as he walked out of the venue.
Long faces emerged from the four-hour closed door meeting; an indication of the collapse of the latest effort to hammer an agreement between the two bitterly opposed bodies as they parted ways separately.
KPL was represented by CEO Jack Oguda, Sofapaka president Elly Kalekwa, Mathare United chairman Bob Munro and his counterparts from AFC Leopards Allan Kasavuli and KCB’s George Odhiambo.
FKF boss Nyamweya came his entire National Executive Committee; vice-president Robert Asembo, CEO Michael Esakwa, Simon Mugo (Nairobi), Tom Alila (Nyanza), Angeline Mwikali (Eastern) and Doris Petra in tow.
Both FKF and KPL have been on a stand- off on who should run the 2015 league with the federation pressing an 18-team format with Shabana FC and Nakumatt FC kicking-off their competition in Machakos on Sunday where the former prevailed 1-0.
KPL are firm on a 16-team topflight scheduled to start this weekend with the backing of the teams that survived last season as well as Nairobi City Stars and Nakuru All Stars who were relegated.
In earlier doomed efforts to resolve the stalemate, KPL walked out of their Joint Executive Committee (JEC) meeting three weeks ago after the latter failed to make available the FIFA consultant’s report which had been in their custody since November 20.
It is this JEC that is expected to thrash out an agreement on the stipulated Wednesday deadline.
Kenya risks a ban from FIFA if the Wednesday meeting that will be attended by all club heads and FKF NEC members does not bear fruit and the minister intervenes under Fifa statutes that forbid Government interference in the sport.
Wario summoned both parties on the eve of a Parliamentary summon on Tuesday as directed by deputy speaker Lonah Laboso to answer questions concerning wrangles in sports federations in the country.
