Current AFC Leopards Secretary General Oscar Igaida will not be on the ballot box when Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) conducts the much hyped club elections on Sunday at Kasarani gymnasium.
Igaida failed the vetting process he helped institute leaving newbies Oliver Sikuku and Robert Situma to battle it out for a post described as the team’s ‘heartbeat’.
Leopards Elections board dispelled speculation on social media that the registrar of sports had halted the polls and challenged the naysayers to substantiate their claims.
“The elections are on and are unstoppable at this time. Those saying that the registrar has issued orders stopping elections should show you a document to prove their claims. We have done everything by the book and had consultative meetings with the registrar along the way,” chairman of the board Geoffrey Serede said today.
“We have engaged IEBC to conduct the polls to dispel any notions that we are partial. Some individuals were accusing us of being appendages of the current secretary general but the same secretary general has failed our vetting process. So we are as impartial as required and club members should turn up and elect their leaders on 23rd without fear,” added the respected city lawyer.
In total, only seven names will be on the ballot on Sunday. Three candidates have been cleared to vie for the club chairmanship while the secretary general’s post and the treasury have each attracted interests of two individuals.
Club legend Dan Shikanda and former chief executive Ronald Namai are challenging for the chairman’s post alongside lawyer Ben Musundi.
The post sparked a bit of controversy after aspirant Boniface Ambani through his lawyer Fred Majani filed a case in court seeking clarity over the constitution in use after he failed the vetting process.
Current treasurer Oliver Imbenzi will defend his post against the popular Maurice Chichi who is bidding to oust him from the sensitive docket.
Imbenzi was elected in 2016 alongside several others but is the only one with a chance to remain in the Ingwe management after the rest failed to make it to the ballot. IEBC plans to conduct the polls from 7am to 1pm on Sunday before starting the tallying process. Ingwe has a vote register of just 1002 names.
“We will set up by 7am and allow members to vote from 8am. Only those who will be on queue by 1pm will be allowed to cast their votes. We have orgainzed security and polling stations enough for all registered members and we expect the polls to be smooth like the last edition,” Martin Nyaga of IEBC told People Daily today.
Chairman of AFC Leopards council of branches Gilbert Andugu urged the Ingwe community to put the club ahead of individuals and unite after the polls.
“AFC is bigger than any individual. So we must not be didvided by elections. Let us all rally behind the people on the ballot and pick one for each post. We all cannot be leaders,” Andugu urged.