Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) Secretary General Mike Okinyi has said “everyone was given an equal opportunity to vie for the seat they desired” in the body’s Saturday elections.
Mike was responding to allegations that the organization’s executive altered nomination rules midair and within a short notice, leading to up to eight aspirants being locked out of the process.
He said nothing could be further from the truth, “We gave a notice in July and followed it up with a reminder.
Everything was done above board as you have seen in the documents I have forwarded you,” the Citizen TV sports editor told Kahawa Tungu.
According to the documents, the SG gave a notice for the elective AGM on 14 July and followed it up with a reminder on 2 August, two days to deadline date for declaring candidature.
“Those willing to vie for various positions must be fully paid up members. Candidates must also have been SJAK members for two years,” the reminder reads partly.
Even though the notice did not mention any nomination fees, the reminder included it.
“Nomination fees (Ksh. 10, 000) must also be paid in full by the deadline to be eligible.”
Mike explained that the amount was applicable four years back when the body staged its inaugural polls and nothing had changed.
“We are nonprofit making organization and we use the money to organize the elections.
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We only had two questions from nonmembers by the way, but we answered them.
We always follow laid down procedures and that is why SJAK has grown to what it is today,” Mike added.
National Olympic Committee of Kenya has been appointed to oversee the elections booked at Nairobi Safari Club.
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