NAIROBI, Kenya, July 27- Football Kenya (FK) chairmanship aspirant and Gor Mahia FC chairman, Ambrose Rachier on Tuesday called on leaders from the clubs electorate to vote the candidate most conversant with the plight of players for the top post.
Rachier, who has the backing of Kenyan Premier League (KPL) clubs, has been consulting chairmen, secretaries, coaches and team managers of sides who will make up the electoral constituency during the August 13 polls since he handed in his nomination papers last week.
On Tuesday, the senior partner at his law firm met sports editors from various media outlets before addressing the press on his vision for the country’s football that is stagnating in the lower reaches of Fifa World Rankings.
“Talk to administrators of teams in the most far-flung parts of the country and in the lowest leagues and you will hear the plight of long-suffering leaders. I am saying that we must now stand up and be counted and vote in a football administration that will work for the rights and development of our clubs and players,” the Gor Mahia chairman charged.
“Our work is to keep our clubs afloat throughout the country. We are the ones that hurt when soccer is mismanaged. Now we have an opportunity to vote the right people to the top echelons of our game,” he added.
Rachier confirmed his attendance at Friday’s public debate organised by the Movement for Political Accountability (MOPA) at the Africa Centre for Open Governance where top contenders for the FK chairmanship will articulate their visions.
The discussion will be held at Nairobi’s Strathmore University.
Kenya Football Federation (KFF) chair, Sam Nyamweya, also confirmed his presence at the debate on Friday when he handed in his nomination papers to the Interim Electoral Board (IEB) that is managing the elections on behalf of the Government and world body Fifa.
“I want credible change for the country’s football since we have witnessed the damage mismanagement has caused for football in this country. I urge my fellow candidates to support the IEB so that we can get over with this process and move forward,” Nyamweya who has been involved in football administration for 15 years stated then.
Other candidates for the top post are Football Kenya Limited chairman, Mohammed Hatimy, Extreme Sports Limited CEO Hussein Mohammed and KFF vice-chair, Twaha Mubarak.
Meanwhile, it is emerging only nine candidates eyeing national seats at the forthcoming FK polls have met the obligation of presenting a valid tax certificate from Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).
SuperSport.com reported on Tuesday that IEB had given the remaining aspirants until Friday to present the document or their names would be struck off the polls list.
A total of 39 candidates presented their nomination papers at the close of Monday’s deadline.
