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The Cabinet Secretary defends FKF election arrangements amidst criticism.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba on Wednesday found himself in the hot seat as he appeared before Parliament to address allegations of mismanagement within the realm of sports.
A section of members of parliament directed criticism at Namwamba, questioning his handling of sports affairs, particularly his involvement with the Football Kenya Federation (FKF).
During the parliamentary session Namwamba shed light on the intricate arrangements that had been established in collaboration with FIFA to ensure the smooth progression of the FKF and the timely conduct of their impending elections.
"We had an arrangement with FIFA and that arrangement was to progress FKF to where they can hold elections because we have had issues with that federation and I do expect FKF should hold their elections as scheduled," said Namwamba, as he sought to assure the parliamentary members.
The current term of the FKF officials is set to conclude in February 2024, but recent reports have indicated a potential shift in the election timeline.
It appears that FIFA, the global governing body for football, granted permission to postpone the FKF elections that were initially slated for the following year, pushing them to 2025.
This decision, according to sources, is aimed at compensating for the time lost during the period when the federation was disbanded by former Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Amina Mohammed.
Amina Mohammed's move led to the establishment of a caretaker committee, which operated alongside a transitional committee, overseeing football affairs for an entire year.
The consequences of this disruption continued to reverberate within the FKF's operations before the new government reinstated the officials.
The current set of officials had been elected in October 2020, with their tenure expected to run until 2024 when a fresh round of elections was originally scheduled.
The contentious matter surrounding the altered election schedule is poised to take center stage during the FKF's upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) later this year.
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