KENYA FOOTBALL POLLS>> Chairmanship candidates agree at first public debate that grassroot development of football is key to improving Kenyan standards
Grassroot development of Kenyan football was the recurring theme in the public debate between candidates vying for the top post at the national elections on August 13.During the grand debate at Strathmore University yesterday, all the candidates expressed a wish to develop football from the grassroots. Extreme Sports Chief Executive Officer Hussein Mohammed, Kenya Football Federation chairman Sam Nyamweya, Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier, KFF first senior chairman Twaha Mbarak and national women’s league chairperson Elizabeth Shako were at the debate and all promised to start grassroots leagues that will help revive the sport in the country. Only Football Kenya Limited chairman Mohammed skipped the event at Strathmore University as he was busy meeting club officials from the various constituencies around Nairobi.
Hussein said debate forms an important part of the electoral process as it gives aspirants a platform to articulate their manifesto to wananchi and the voting clubs and felt it was only the serious candidates who took their time to attend the debate. “Once elected, I will dedicate my energy to developing football right from the grassroots where I intend to work hand in hand with the government who will be vital in the development of football infrastructure,” Hussein said.
The debate was organised by the Movement for Political Accountability (Mopa) in partnership with the Independent Electoral Board, Kenya Transition Initiative, Bunge la Mwananchi among others.
“We shall also bring in a constitution where all the constituencies will be made sub branches while the counties will be made branches,” added Hussein.
All the candidates promised to dedicate their time to the sport and also vowed not to use football for their own personal gains including vying for elective political posts in the general elections. Put to task to explain why he wants to vie for the seat yet he had been before and there had not been much change in the way of doing business, Nyamweya said his time to take over as the national chairman was hijacked by Hatimy and three other individuals through the setting of a limited company which did all they could to gain international football federation recognition.
On his part, Twaha said he believes the time to change the system of football governance is now. He said he wanted to make it more professional but his promise of operating in a centralised office system saw part of the audience put him to task on how inclusive that would be.
His response was: “Working in one centre of power means we will be able to put sanity back into the sport.”
Shako remained optimist of capturing the seat insisting her experience with the various leagues in Mombasa and the national women’s league started last year will come in handy in improving the status of the sport. “We must develop a strategic plan that will see us avoid the preparation of national teams as we have seen before,” she said.
Rachier took the chance to explain how he wants to improve the level of coaching and promised to use his experience at Gor Mahia at the national level. Asked whether he will resign his position at Gor Mahia and Kenyan Premier league, to fully concentrate on the chase of a national office, Rachier said: “I don’t know.”
Link to the story: http://www.nairobistar.com/sports/sports/34007-how-they-will-go-about-the-football-business
