By Kenn Okaka

The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) on Monday unveiled its five-member electoral board, tasked with overseeing the forthcoming football elections, which are expected to conclude before the end of this year. The board, comprised of established professionals, will conduct its operations from the federation’s base at the FIFA Goal Project in Kandanda House.

The electoral board is chaired by Hesbon Owilla, a DAAD scholar, PhD candidate, media strategist, and Research Associate at the Media Innovation Center at the Aga Khan University. Established lawyer Marceline Sande will serve as the secretary of the board, which also includes seasoned journalist and President of the Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) James Waindi, former AFC Leopards chairman Dan Mule—who besides having a successful tenure at AFC Leopards, is also a former FKF presidential aspirant—and Mr. Alfred Ng’ang’a, an established communications expert and consultant.

During the unveiling ceremony, Chairman Owilla emphasized the significance of the election process for the future of Kenyan football, noting that the elections will lay the foundation for good governance in the sport. Owilla stated that his team is committed to delivering an outcome that all stakeholders will be proud of, stressing the board’s role in ensuring that the election will be “free, fair, and verifiable.” This commitment, he noted, is key to maintaining the integrity and transparency of the electoral process.

The board will operate from Kandanda House, a location chosen to provide an impartial and conducive environment for all aspirants. Owilla explained that the decision was made after careful consideration of all available options.

“Anyone who examines all the possibilities will reach the same conclusion—that if the regulations provide for this location, the board has a responsibility to ensure that it serves the interests of all aspirants without any undue influence,” Owilla said.

Some aspirants, such as Hussein Mohammed and perennial aspirant Tom Alila, have expressed reservations about the electoral board operating from Kandanda House. However, the address is the best possible location for the board, and Owilla’s team is fully justified in running their operations from there. Furthermore, the FKF electoral board will operate from a building next to the FKF Secretariat within the FIFA Goal Project precincts in Kasarani—not inside the FKF offices, as alleged by Hussein.

The activities of member associations are typically housed at the associations’ headquarters. This is also the case for other membership bodies like political parties, for example political parties like United Democratic Alliance (UDA), the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), and the Jubilee Party. Their members are the stakeholders, and their electoral boards are housed at their party headquarters. Even the current Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, having been a member of a political party, is well aware of this practice.

For the FKF Electoral Board, operating from Kandanda House is not unique. Other federations and sports associations, both in Kenya and abroad, also conduct their elections with electoral bodies operating from their headquarters. In fact, elections for the majority of sports associations in Kenya have been conducted from the associations’ bases, some even located at Nyayo and Kasarani for many years.

As for Hussein, his complaints appear to be his usual ‘cry-baby’ tendencies. The decision to house the electoral board is anchored in the FKF Electoral Code, which he was part of passing and even voted for during the FKF Special General Meeting. During the SGM, members had the opportunity to suggest amendments—so it’s possible Hussein voted for the code without fully reading it.

Since FKF is a member-driven association, its activities are conducted from Kandanda House, where all football stakeholders have their matters addressed. Complaining about the location raises doubts about whether Hussein is a legitimate FKF member. Even if the board operated from another location, it’s likely he would still find another issue to complain about.

To assure the board’s commitment, Owilla stated that they pledge to deliver free, fair, credible, just, transparent, and verifiable elections, which are set to be held no later than December 15.

“We already understand the assignment before us, and I’m confident the team I’m leading will deliver. We will ensure the election process runs smoothly to its conclusion,” Owilla said.

He added that the board is committed to delivering what Kenyan football stakeholders will be proud of, even in the years to come. The onus is on the board to ensure that contestants experience a fair and transparent election process aligned with their will.

“We have met, exchanged ideas, and are united to deliver an election process with high standards of integrity to ensure every vote counts,” Owilla reiterated.

On the issue of voter register manipulation, Hussein and ilk should be reminded that the FKF elections will be conducted by FKF members, meaning the voter register cannot be tampered with, as members will be electing their own fellow members to represent them.