Nock calls meeting as exco mull fresh polls

The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (Nock) Executive Committee will convene on Friday for the first time since the national body’s elections were brought to a dramatic halt hours before the poll.

Nock Secretary General Francis Kinyili Paul told Citizen Digital that an exco members’ meeting has been scheduled for August 18 at their Nairobi headquarters.

Top of their agenda list will be setting the election date afresh after High Court Judge Enock Chacha Mwita scrapped orders barring the embattled Nock from conducting their polls on May 5.

“We were waiting for some of our members who were engaged at the just concluded IAAF World Athletics Championships in London because we could not proceed without them. We hope to hold a productive meeting,” Paul said.

His deputy, James Chacha, who was deemed ineligible to seek an extra term in office owing to squabbles that accompanied the Kenya Taekwondo Association (KTA) – the federation that fronted his candidature – says he hopes the exco agrees to hold fresh nominations.

The Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) had ruled that the KTA was ineligible to participate in the Nock polls since it had provided three warring factions and thus were denied a certificate of registration in accordance to the Sports Act 2016.

In effect, Chacha and Stephen Arap Soi – the Nock deputy treasurer and who was also fronted a separate KTA faction – were struck off the list of candidates running for office.

In response, the two sought and were granted an injunction barring the elections before KTA early this month withdrew the case after agreeing to an out-of-court settlement.

“We shall have a clear way to follow after Friday’s meeting and I hope to declare whether or not I’ll vie after then. We should have conducted the elections on May 5 during the General Assembly but it was adjourned. It was not reconvened within 14 days so a fresh notice will issued,” Chacha said.

The Nock elections impasse had attracted criticism from the International Olympics Committee (IOC) with the governing body ordering parties involved to end the stalemate or face stern sanctions.

As resolutions dragged, the IOC sent a warning letter to Nock ordering ‘for a prompt decision’.

“As things stand, and given that the case initiated by the “Taekwondo Federation” is still ongoing despite our self-explanatory letter dated 18 May 2017, we can only hope and wait for a prompt decision from the High Court in order for the Elective General Assembly to resume accordingly and, hopefully, conclude as soon as possible,” an excerpt of the letter sent in June 21 read.

The IOC added its Executive Board would give a further update after a meeting scheduled for July 9 and 10.

In quick response, the Ministry of Sports Art and Culture Cabinet Secretary Dr. Hassan Wario  and his Principal Secretary (PS) Ambassador Kirimi Kaberia called for a meeting with Nock President Dr. Kipchoge Keino and Affiliate Federations in the week that followed as they sought to evade impending sanctions.

On August 2, Judge Mwita gave Nock the green light to proceed with their elections and referred all matters concerning the elections to the SDT.

However, KTA is yet to put its house in order while Kenya Rowing and Canoe Association (KRACA) who are also sailing the same boat threatened to block elections for a second time should their grievances go unaddressed.