By Mark Baber
September 24 – With the format of the Football Kenya Federation elections having been set, Sammy Sholei (pictured), who just last month had has six-year suspension from football annulled, has announced his candidature for the post of President.
Sholei announced he was running on Tuesday flanked by Eric Obura, who is running for the executive committee position for Nairobi and Dan Shikanda, who hopes to return as Nairobi branch chairman.
The former international said he has the experience to change Kenyan football. He is up against the controversial and divisive incumbent Sam Nyamweya and Kariobangi Sharks chairman Nick Mwendwa who is also standing on a change platform.
Elections will be held for sub branches on October 29 each electing eight officials, branches on November 5 electing 8 officials per branch and for national office, electing 10 officials including the President on November 13.
The electorate will reportedly consist of 16 clubs from the Kenyan Premier League, 18 clubs from the FKF Premier League, eight from Division One, eight from the Super League, two from the Women’s Premier League and two from Women’s Division One. Coaches, players and the referees commission will each provide one vote each. After an intervention from FIFA, 19 KFK branches will have a vote (rather than the 47 counties which had originally put forward by the FKF).
Lawyer Donald Kipkorir has been appointed as the chairman of FKF Elections Board.
Sammy Sholei was reinstated as FKF vice-chairman by the Sports Disputes Tribunal last month, although he will not be taking up his post under the current regime, and is standing on a platform of change, having been excluded from the position he should have held under Nyamweya for the last four years.
As well as taking on Nyamweya, Sholei will need to see off the challenge of the other change candidate, Nick Mwendwa, whose campaign claims to have picked up 10 of the 19 branches including Upper Eastern, Nairobi, North North Eastern, North Coast, North South Eastern, Southern, Central Rift, South Rift, North Rift and Nyanza North.
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