FKF president, Sam Nyamweya during Friday’s AGM in Nairobi. PHOTO/JOE MIANO MUCHIRI
NAIROBI, August 28- Football Kenya Federation on Friday re-admitted Kenyan Premier League as the company mandated to run top flight football with a Memorandum of Understanding to that effect due to be signed soon.
The resolution was adopted at today’s Annual General Meeting where it was also put forward the top-flight league will have 18 teams, up from the current 16.
FIFA brokered talks in March that unlocked the stalemate between FKF and KPL had set out the agreement as one of the mandatory requirements after the federation withdrew the rights to run the league from their rivals as they established the parallel FKF-PL.
“We had a lengthy discussion about KPL. We have recognised them but they have to sign a MoU with the federation that at the end of the year, we are only going to have one league that will be called FKF-PL.
“It was agreed the federation will make a decision on relegation and promotion,” FKF president, Sam Nyamweya, told the press after a marathon 10-hour AGM at a Nairobi hotel.
A blanket amnesty was extended to all suspended officials, including his elected vice-president, Sam Shollei, Nairobi NEC member, Dr. Dan Shikanda and his Coast counterpart, Hussein Terry alongside all branch and sub-branch officials.
Nyamweya denied the lifting of the bans was a political manoeuvre as he seeks to serve another term after his October 28, 2011 election during the unified football elections.
“Most of them were remorseful and it’s fair and we have to be human beings. Even Jesus forgave people. There is nobody who is a saint, it’s a democratic change and we want to go to elections as one football family.
“It is not a political strategy, its democracy and in good taste and we don’t want to live with people in limbo when they have shown remorse,” the long-serving football administrator added.
Nyamweya was hard pressed to explain why audited accounts were not read out and ratified by the AGM as is common practise on such occasions.
“FIFA audits their association all over the world. It is normal practise,” he added.
Most of the items on the agenda were passed including election dates, October 29 for sub-branch, November 5 for branch before the national polls including the Electoral Code of Conduct and eligibility of candidates that will be formally published on Saturday.
“Everybody starts on a clean page so that they can campaign for whatever they want. The 47 Counties will be branches so that we can have better administration. Rift Valley will be divided into two zones since it has 14 counties,” the football boss explained announcing a body to supervise the polls that will be conducted by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission will be in place.
“There is a taskforce that will ensure the implementation of that code will be done properly. We urge everyone to do their campaigns decently. In future, we shall not allow anyone not involved in football to run for office,” Nyamweya underscored.
Presidential candidate and current FKF-PL chairman, Nick Mwendwa, of Kariobangi Sharks, flanked Nyamweya
“As a candidate, I’m satisfied. This was a hard one and we never had to take a vote on any single item. We showed the spirit of consensus on almost everything.
“There are no horses in this race, only competitors and we invited anybody who is a stakeholder and qualifies the criteria to come and run. I’m confident with the committee in place and the structure has been agreed,” Mwenda declared.
Earlier in the morning, his supporters caused a stir outside the venue when they came with placards chanting his name as the president waited on the inside for proceedings to start.
During the top-flight stand-off, the KPL league was suspended for two weeks following a court injunction obtained by the federation as Nyamweya announced the promotion of 14 division one clubs to take the places of dissenting teams belonging to the rivals.
Lady Justice Roselyn Aburili threw out FKF’s injunction plea on technicality before FIFA seconded mediators came to the country and the two parties resolved to end the crippling stalemates as the two competitions were allowed to run as top and second tier.
