Ex-CECAFA boss Musonye joins race for top FKF seat

Jacob Icia

Veteran football administrator Nicholas Musonye has thrown his hat into the multi-way race for the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) presidential seat held by Nick Mwendwa.

The retired CECAFA supremo’s announcement is a swift U-turn to football management after quitting the regional body last year in December with an eye for the 2022 Kakamega County Gubernatorial seat.

The development brings a fresh twist in the much delayed elections, with Musonye, who led CECAFA for 21 years, now presenting the biggest challenger to incumbent Mwendwa.

Musonye said he had been ‘compelled by stakeholders’ to come back and save Kenya’s football.

“I was already settling well in livestock farming, but many people, and main stakeholders for that matter asked me to come back and harmonise football leadership in the country.

“There is no doubt about my experience in management of the sport, having done this for over 20 years across 14 countries. As a patriotic and a lover of the game too, I could not resist, and I assure you we will so this,” Musonye said.

Musonye, who handed over the CECAFA mantle to another Kenyan Auka Gacheo under a newly structured organisation, has questioned the current leadership for unending battles with other stakeholders.

“As a leader you must be able to consult and give direction putting in mind everybody’s input. That has been lacking, hence so much negative energy around. That needs to be dealt with,” told Musonye, citing the recent standoff between KPL Limited and FKF on how to conclude the current season in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

Musonye will however have to wait for direction on when and how the elections will be done, after the world football governing body FIFA meets FKF, the Government and Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) officials over the previously cancelled elections.

With the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic, it is unclear when the meeting will exactly take place.

Musonye, a retired journalist, is set to launch his manifesto soon after the FIFA lead meeting is held, and a path towards the poll becomes clearer.

He however kept off the FKF electoral code issues that twice lead to cancellation of the elections by the SDT, in December 2019 and March this year.

His entry into the FKF top job race adds into the list that has already Mwendwa, former FKF president Sam Nyamweya, former AFC Leopards chairman Alex Ole Magelo, former Vihiga County Governor Bishop Moses Akaranga, Gor Mahia CEO Lordvick Aduda among others.