Nairobi Star (Nairobi)
Gichana Angwenyi
4 August 2011
THE High Court in Kisii has certified the case seeking to suspend the national football elections as urgent and will be heard on priority basis next week.
Kisii High Court Judge Milton Makhandia certified the case filed by Eric Barare Orina as urgent. High Court Registrar Godfrey Oduor set the hearing date for August 10. The elections are set for August 13.
Orina, who claims to be a staunch soccer enthusiast and youth activist, has sued the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Kenya Football Federation, Football Kenya Limited and the Independent Electoral Board (IEB) seeking to have them stopped from conducting the elections.
He says KFF and FKL have contributed to the dwindling of soccer standards due to persistent wrangles and should not be in the forefront in organising and participating in the elections.
Orina says in his affidavit that KFF and FKL, which he has named as second and third respondents, have contributed to the dwindling football standards at the grassroots, in the country and internationally. He said if the elections go ahead, they will threaten football in the country and violate the fundamental rights of Kenyans. Orina wants the IEB restrained from conducting the elections. The IEB has cleared six candidates to battle it out for the chairmanship and the candidates have already hit the campaign homestretch.
The candidates are KFF chairman Sam Nyamweya, FKL chairman Mohammed Hatimy, Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier, Mohammed Hussein of Extreme Sports, KFF vice chairman Twaha Mbarak and Elisabeth Shako.
AllAfrica – All the Time