Mule ready for FKF presidency duel as Musonye and Co call for reforms

The immediate former AFC Leopards chairman Dan Mule has called on aspirants eyeing various positions in the forthcoming Football Kenya Federation (FKF) elections to avoid court battles that have derailed the polls for close to a year.

His sentiments come just a week after the FKF Electoral Board released the elections calendar, with the national polls set for October.

Mule, a presidential hopeful himself says with the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) verdict of March 2020 that invited the world football supreme body FIFA to direct the way forward on the elections, reverting to the court is not a worthy option.

“It will be impossible to please everybody. FIFA is clear that the elections are supposed to be held in accordance with the FKF constitution. What we have been given by the Board is nothing outside the very constitution,” said Mule.

According to the soft-spoken Mule, the more the electoral process delays, the more complicated the football situation in the country gets.

“It is telling that we rush to the court every time the elections are about to take place. We may not have everything perfect, but we can contribute to changes as stakeholders after the elections without waiting again until four years are over.

“Key decisions need to be made, and in this mood of push and pull that cannot be done effectively,” Mule urged.

But Mule’s call is directly contrary to that of former Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) Nicholas Musonye, who firmly says without reforms the polls cannot go on.

“The reasons that have led to the cancellation of the elections in December (2019) and March this year are clearly known, and are yet to be addressed. What then is the value of the time spent?”

Musonye, who is also an aspirant of the presidency, is again calling for a Normalisation Committee to take over the running of football in the country and plan for the elections.

“The term for the current FKF office bearers ended a long time ago (February 2020). The SDT was clear that they (National Executive Committee) have no mandate. Thus, nothing can be done now because the president cannot run the show alone,” insisted Musonye.

Double standards

Musonye accused FIFA for what he called double standards, in dealing with FKF on certain matters.

“I know football and I understand regulations. We cannot be telling the public the Government should not interfere with the running of football yet the same government funds our football. If the Cabinet Secretary for Sports Amina Mohammed hand is the only way to settle this matter, let her do so as Kenya is a sovereign state. FIFA should not disregard the directions of the SDT,” averred Musonye.

He also revealed he is among the petitioners who have gone to the SDT to stop the freshly planned elections.

The case is set to be mentioned on Tuesday, signaling yet another long odyssey towards Kenya’s Football Association polls.