Nyamweya is KFF boss

By Gilbert Wandera

Another round of fierce fight for control of Kenya football is imminent with yesterday’s election of Kenya Football Federation (KFF), which handed the leadership to Sam Nyamweya.

Coast Province official Omar Mohamed casts his vote at Saturday’s KFF election in Nairobi. [PHOTO: JONAH ONYANGO/STANDARD]

Nyamweya’s first shot after being handed the crown was that his office would take over Fifa’s Goal Project Complex at Moi Sports Centre, Kasarani, next week.

The Government had called for joint elections, but Mohamed Hatimy’s group formed a private company, Football Kenya Limited, which enjoys Fifa backing.

Yesterday’s KFF polls ended up to being a coronation for most officials. Intense lobbying that went deep into yesterday morning saw most top officials go in unopposed.

Sam Nyamweya was confirmed chairman unopposed after his sole opponent, Twaha Mbarak, bowed out at the last minute.

The Mombasa-based football administrator said he was stepping down for the sake of unity in the federation.

He was later appointed senior vice-chairman unopposed. This is the same position he held before yesterday’s polls.

Newcomer Luke Arrum was appointed the third vice-chairman after his two opponents Peter Ochiel and Mohammed Omar stepped down. The elections were preceded by a ‘Kamukunji’ where delegates agreed to share posts to consider regional and gender balance. In the end, three women, Doris Petra, Anjelina Elijah and Rachel Kamweru were appointed National Executive Committee members.

Grassroot football

Speaking after being confirmed, chairman, Nyamweya said he had sponsors who are willing to pump in Sh100m into the federation to promote grassroot football.

The official said he would focus on rebuilding the image of the federation and bring back corporate sponsors.

He said the federation would fully move in to take over the running of football.

"We are now the legitimate managers of football in this country. Anybody pretending to run the sport is not sincere," he said.

To stake their claim, Nyamweya said they would move in to take over the Fifa Complex at Kasarani.

"We are the rightful residents of the (Fifa) Complex and we will move in next week to take over," he said. He said their office is the one with legitimacy considering that over 6,000 clubs took part in the exercise from the sub-branch level until yesterday’s national polls.

"Football cannot be run by a private company. The government has stated the same and we repeat it here that this is a mass sport and ours is to return it to the owners," he added.

Nyamweya accused world body Fifa of double standards by supporting a few individuals in Kenya to the detriment of the bigger population.

He said their focus would not just be on the 2010 World Cup, but on making Kenya a football powerhouse with the aim of winning the Africa Cup of Nations finals in the next eight years.