NOC-K cinema continues as court ruling disrupts elections again

NOCK Outgoing Secretary General Francis Mutuku addressing the media on the decision by the high court to stop elections in Westlands Nairobi on June 19, 2025. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

NOC-K Cinema continues shortly! This was the confusion that marked the nervy National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) elections, which were ultimately postponed for the second time in Nairobi yesterday.

Delegates had reached the high-profile venue in time, eagerly waiting to cast their votes. Security was very tight, and no one without a badge was allowed to access the location where those ‘qualified’ served their breakfast to the fullest as they waited for D-Day.

And then, before long, rumours and counter-rumours started to fly in the air as people talked and discussed in low tones. Have the elections been suspended again? Some asked quietly.

Then boom! An Eldoret High Court petition order started to fly on various WhatsApp groups, and the delegates shared it as fast as lightning.

Some resolved to dissect it, with the immediate conclusion that it lacked the seal, the stamp and a case number. Fake?

Some delegates claimed to know some big shots in Eldoret who could interpret for them what they were reading. They made frantic phone calls to determine the authenticity of the petition, and the end result?

It was legit! This forced the eagerly awaited polls to once again be adjourned for the second time.

The elections were suspended following the petition filed by the Shadrack Maluki-led Team New Dawn.

The application of the temporary injunction barring the NOC-K Executive Committee from proceeding with the elections will be heard and determined on Monday, June 23, 2025.

The first time the polls were adjourned was on April 24 following internal wrangles by four NOC-K affiliates, namely the Kenya Handball Federation, the Kenya Volleyball Federation, the Kenya Taekwondo Federation and Triathlon Kenya, on who between their chairmen and secretary generals were eligible to cast votes in the polls.

At the same time, Team New Dawn took issues with Sports Dispute Tribunal (SDT) member Allan Mola.

They accused honourable Mola of six issues: single-judge determination of sensitive disputes, manifestation of biasness against the Team New Dawn coalition-affiliated federations, disregard for the doctrine of exhaustion and access to justice.

Others included the application of Res Judicata to evolving electoral circumstances, misrepresentation of NOC-K constitution and International Olympic Committee (IOC) directive, and lastly, silencing of federations by technical dismissal.

“We have witnessed a pattern of biasness and unprocedural injustice, for example, the decisions rendered by SDT between the period of June 10-18,” Kenya Table Tennis Federation President Andrew Mudibo stated.

“These decisions were only rendered by one person at the SDT despite their weightiness and far-reaching implications.

“Mola has upheld and protected the status of rival federations or candidates aligned to the current NOC-K leadership.”

He further added: “There is no fairness at the SDT, which has become an instrument of oppression, muscling of federations and aborting dreams of young sportsmen and women. This is unethical and a democratic crisis.”

Mudibo wants Mola to resign from the SDT, stating that Team New Dawn will seek a sit-down with the Chief Justice of Kenya and the Secretary of the tribunals.

Mudibo also said that by SDT excluding his name from the NOC-K elections on grounds of KTTA irregularities, it was an injustice to the other five candidates of Team New Dawn that KTTA had seconded for the polls.

The candidates are Barnaba Korir – 1st Vice President (Athletics), Francis Karugu – Assistant Secretary General (Softball), Waweru Mududa – Women rep (Volleyball), Eliud Kipchoge – Male Athletes Representative (Athletics), and Lt Col (Retired) Nahashon Randiek – 2nd Vice President (Hockey).

On his part, NOC-K Secretary General Francis Mutuku, who also heads the opposing coalition, the NOC-K Service Team, acknowledged the suspended elections, saying it was in order for the side that felt aggrieved to seek justice at the High Court.

“Despite the court injunction, I want to assure the public that all NOC-K programmes are running well and normally, we expect the matters raised at the court to be heard and determined fairly for all sides to be content,” Mutuku said.