ALL SET FOR THE FKF ELECTIONS

 BY ALEX ISOE

On Sunday 29 November, the Football Kenya Federation Elections Board released the full list of legible candidates to contest seats in the upcoming election to be held in sub branch, branch and National levels on 3, 7 and 14 December, in that order.
275 candidates were cleared to vie for the 160 positions available across the 20 existing branches

The Branch positions available include Chair, Vice Chair, secretary and assistant, Treasurer and assistant as well as Women and Youth representative.
Of the 275 candidates, 51 will be gunning for the chairpersons’ seat making the position the most attractive of all eight.
The Secretaries seat is the next best sought after position with 42 candidates with that of the Treasurer attracting 38.
The Vice Chair, Assistant Secretary and Women Representative positions have drawn in 36, 30 and 29 candidates, in that order. The Youth representative post has 25 candidates, one more than the assistant treasurer’s position.
Of the 20 branches, three – Nairobi West, North West Rift and Nyanza North will be the most fiercely contested as each has attracted five candidates for the Chairmanship post each, one more than South Coast which has four contestants for the top seat.
Bashir Hussein, the outgoing Treasurer of Nairobi (East) leads the Nairobi West Chairmanship race. Athanas Obala Obango, Geoffrey Sirima Wallace, Samuel Kihara Muhu and the once self proclaimed AFC Leopards Chair Mathews Wamukowa Opwora also eying the seat that is being contested for the first time as the Branch came into being after the last elections.
The Nairobi West Vice Chair’s position will equally be fiercely fought for with four candidates; Odera Tresvant Daniel, Washington Lubanga , John Ashihundu Ambalwa and Fanon Oyuga Otieno going for the seat.
North West Rift Branch incumbent Abubakar Kimani Gitau is being challenged for his seat by John Barasa Wanyonyi, Protus Simiyu Wamalwa, Martin Nyongesa Masinde and Edward Chedotum Kinong.
Former Gor Mahia and Harambee Stars central defender Selemani Hamisi Shamba leads the race for the Nyanza North seat vacated by Joseph Andere who is now vying for the Nyanza’s executive post.
Shamba’s name for the Nyanza North chairmanship post will be accompanied by that of Patrick Imbuga Kihungu, George Oria Ongudi, Joseph Onyango Otiende and Ambrose Oganyo Watanga on ballot day.
In South Coast, incumbent Khamis Bakari Mwayoyo will be challenged all the way by Gabriel Mghendi, Kazungu Mwarua Garero and Khamis R.Baghazal aka Coaches.
Other than those four branches, three others - Nyanza South and North Coast each attracted three candidates for the high Branch seat.
Chairmanship for 12 other branches - Nairobi East, Mt. Kenya, Aberdares, Central Rift, Lower Eastern, North Rift, North Eastern North, North Western, North Eastern South, Nyanza West, Southern and Western will be contested by two candidates each.
As 49 candidates jostle for chairmanship positions, two candidates – David Bunei of South Rift and Hussein Dima Mahad of Upper Eastern are home and dry. They go through unopposed for lack of an opponent.