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.
