Board members allege plot to rig football elections
The credibility of the ongoing football elections is now under serious threat, in the wake of a publicized fallout between Football Kenya Federation’s Electoral Board members.
Evidence of this fallout is clearly spelt out in a letter signed by five of the board’s nine members to Fifa’s Member Head of Association Primo Carvaro accusing FKF Secretary General/CEO Michael Esakwa of releasing a parallel list of branches clubs and delegates to vote in Tuesday.
This is in complete contradiction of a list published by the electoral board.
The football electoral board members who signed the letter dated January 19 are Irene Tindi (secretary), David Mareka (treasurer), J.J Masiga and Naftali Nyaberega (members), together with Edwin Wamukoya (chairman, verification process).
FAVOURING INCUMBENT
The officials are also accusing their board chairman Donald Kipkorir of favouring the incumbent president.
“After the verification process it became clear that the status of the disorganized data (sent to us by the CEO) was as a result of a deliberate attempt to rig the elections from the onset in favour of the incumbent President (Nyamweya),” the letter read.
The letter further says: “The Electoral Board chairman’s impartiality in respect to the incumbent is noticeable; his denial for the press has led to a lack of information to aspirants leading to total confusion, his long and unnecessary delays in making decisions is frustrating, his dictatorial tendencies to Board members is disrespectful.”
‘SOFT SPOT’
Esakwa hit back at the board members in an exclusive interview on Thursday, accusing the board of having a “soft spot” for some candidates in the elections.
“It is systematic. They just want to tarnish my name at this critical moment as we near the national elections. Actually, we have intelligence and evidence to link some of those people to supporting some candidates in this election,” Esakwa claimed.
Kipkorir was not available for comment.
The five board members asked Fifa to “intervene and advice” on way forward. They requesting the world football governing body to send a representative to establish the truth.
This is the second time in the its five month tenure that the board members are reading from a different script. National elections are on February 10.
