Sholei implores CS Amina to form Normalization Committee

Sammy Sholei has joined the bandwagon calling for a Normalization Committee to take over management of Football Kenya Federation (FKF).

Sholei slammed FKF president Nick Mwendwa for ‘gross failure’ at the helm of the national football body and accused him of deploying ‘delaying tactics’ designed to help him escape accountability.’

The FKF presidential aspirant wants the Cabinet Secretary for Sports Amb. Amina Mohammed to establish a Normalization Committee to run football in the country until elections are held.

Importantly, Sholei claims Mwendwa’s conduct demeans the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT), further complicating the path to elections that the tribunal has twice cancelled.

“FIFA rules are crystal clear, they do not tolerate the use of mainstream courts to resolve disputes and otherwise prefer and support a sports arbitration process…It is unfortunate that the current FKF office has anonymously filed cases in three regional courts to block the much celebrated Sports Disputes Tribunal from discussing and or handling any football matters,” read part of Sholei’s statement.

In follow up to his statement, Sholei told Citizen Digital that the recent Mombasa High Court order rendering the pronouncements of SDT against the federation temporarily invalid was a dangerous move by Mwendwa.

“SDT is a football stakeholder despite the fact that it reports to Chief Justice David Maraga. It has everything to do with sports, so any sports stakeholder taking the tribunal to an ordinary court is against FIFA rules,” he said.

A debate whether the SDT is indeed a football stakeholder thus emerges, as FIFA would consider the move to the High Court a breach of its rules. An FKF official on the contrary says the SDT is not a football stakeholder, thus an aggrieved football stakeholder by the tribunal can move the matter to an ordinary court.

FKF’s Gabriel Mghendi of Coast region was among the petitioners who sought the High Court’s orders, to stop SDT’s orders against the federation temporarily suspended.

Sholei, a former Kenyan international, also suggests the federation is hiding behind FIFA’s policy of non-interference to prevail over the SDT.

“To publicly disparage the SDT and its Chair, John Ohaga is not only petty but malicious in intent and sets a dangerous precedent. Perpetuating ridicule, arrogance, impunity and contempt towards the Ministry of Sports, Registrar of Sports and the Sports Act under the guise of FIFA’s policy of non-interference is treachery and beyond measure,” claimed Sholei.

FKF is waiting for FIFA to convene a meeting to chat the way forward on the overdue elections, after questioning SDT’s authority in the March 17 ruling that cancelled the repeat elections that were hitherto heading to the national office stage.

However, Sholei says delay to hold the meeting leaves should and the fresh court maneuvers should perturb the Sports CS.

“We should be doing what should be done within the country to resolve our issues in the best interest of the sport. Even if FIFA bans Kenya for two years, it is not a matter of life and death.

“The important route now is having all stakeholders on board and their voices heard. Football stakeholders include the beans sellers and their hearts are in the sport. They include those who watch on TV, it doesn’t have to be an office holder somewhere…” Sholei said.

Mwendwa also rejected a call by the SDT to moderate a stakeholders forum on the way forward regarding the polls, arguing the mover was outside the tribunal’s mandate.