Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) is set to hold their second elections on Saturday, however, there is growing disquiet over how the nomination process was conducted.
Up to eight aspirants were locked out on technicalities due to “funny” rules introduced at the last minute without members’ approval, setting the stage for selections and not elections, according to a source.
The disgruntled members are reportedly planning to go to court to obtain orders stopping the elections that will be conducted by the National Olympic Committee of Kenya at Nairobi Safari Club.
Aspirants were given from Wednesday to Saturday midnight last week to part with Ksh.10, 000 each as the nomination fee and many feel the deadline was deliberately made short to do away with competition.
Members were also required to update their membership subscriptions of Ksh.6, 000 per year to be eligible for nomination.
At the end of the nomination process, Mike Okinyi, the SJAK’s Secretary General released a list that will see all the current officials retain their seats unopposed.
“Despite having just one nominee per position (all candidates unopposed), NOC Kenya will conduct the election process,” an email to members from the SG reads.
According to the SG, the SJAK’s Executive Committee has constitutional powers to set electoral rules without subjecting the same to members’ nod.
There’s now a growing feeling that if allowed to proceed, the elections will be a mockery of the basic democratic principles and put to ridicule a body which is partly in place to hold other sports bodies to highest standards of leadership.
Read: Malkia Strikers Camp Hit By ‘Pregnancy Bug’ Ahead Of World Championship
“We are always on the neck of other sports associations demanding better elections and high standards of leadership, I wonder how we will do in this in future if we can’t live by the same demands,” one member posed.
Below is the list of nominees/incumbents:
President
Chris Mbaisi
Vice-President
James Magayi
Secretary General
Mike Okinyi
Organizing Secretary
Wanjiku Mwenda
Treasurer
Alex Isaboke
Committee Members
Michelle Katami
Samson Ateka
Vereso Mwanga
Evelyn Watta
Do you have a story you want told? Do you know of a sensitive story you would like us to get our hands on? Email your news TIPS to Editor@kahawatungu.com
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
