NAIROBI, Kenya, September 13- Only 48 hours after Athletics Kenya boss, Isaiah Kiplagat, stated all is well at the federation, 15 affiliates have ruled on Friday to convene the contentious Special General Meeting (SGM) on September 26 that could lead to the ouster of the long-serving boss from office.
“Following the expiry of the 21-day notice we gave our president to call for the SGM, 15 affiliates met today (Friday) and agreed to call the meeting for Thursday, September 26 at a venue to be communicated later.
“The agenda of the SGM will be to discuss the contentious issues in the new AK constitution and other administrative issues affecting the running of the federation,” AK vice-president, Paul Mutwii, who is the spokesman of the group pushing for the meeting stated.
Mutwii fell short of revealing whether a no confidence motion on Kiplagat who has been at the helm of one of the richest and successful federation in Kenya would feature at the SGM.
The AK boss has vehemently refused to call for the SGM as he pushes to institute reforms at the top level management of the federation that sees most functions carried out by elected officials being handled by hired professionals.
Already, Kiplagat has hired a CEO who took over administrative duties reserved for his first vice-president, David Okeyo, marketing and communication director who has rendered the elected Public Relations Officer, Evans Bosire redundant.
The president is in the process of enlisting the services of a Financial Manager expected to assume the role previously handled by the elected Treasurer.
“The affiliates here include members of the National Executive Committee who are with us in this process to convene a SGM so that we can address the wrongs in the new constitution,” Mutwii added.
“The people calling for the SGM are resisting change. We are not refusing to call the SGM or even removing me from office but it should be done under the provisions of our constitution,” Kiplagat said last week.
On Thursday during the launch of the Stanchart Nairobi International Marathon, the president intimated all was well at the federation he has run without brokering dissent since 2000, having served as a vice-president and secretary general previously.
“We have no problem, sometime, any marriage has issues and that does not mean we are fighting. We are still together and we will ensure this event is even bigger since the eyes of the whole world are with us,” he stressed during the launch.
By the press time, Kiplagat could not be reached for comment on the matter.
The split in the federation was hatched on August 29 in the aftermath of the Moscow Worlds when 14 affiliates converged to issue a notice to convene the SGM which the president declined.
