The Sports Disputes Tribunal has issued a temporary restraint on the Ministry of Sports, preventing it from gazetting or appointing Football Kenya Federation nominees to the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2027 Local Organising Committee.
This development stems from a petition challenging the nomination criteria used by the federation to select its representatives to the AFCON 2027 LOC, which has raised concerns about the overall process.
Kenya’s preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations may be hindered by this decision, as the Local Organizing Committee is responsible for ensuring timely preparations to meet specified deadlines, and any delays could impact the country’s readiness.
The order is a result of the pending hearing and determination of the petition, which questions the integrity, transparency, fairness, and inclusivity of the selection process, highlighting potential flaws in the nomination criteria.
Several allegations suggest that the nomination process violated key constitutional principles and governance guidelines, including a lack of regional balance and gender equity, as well as the exclusion of over 20 deserving FKF branch chairpersons and other prominent members without clear justification.
The petition also highlights that several individuals who are not official members of the FKF were selected without clear criteria, and multiple committee roles were undertaken by a select few candidates rather than being distributed fairly among qualified stakeholders.
Furthermore, the petitioners argue that the nomination process bypassed established institutional protocols by failing to submit the proposed list of candidates to the FKF National Executive Committee for official approval, as required by the FKF constitution.
Following this directive, the SDT has effectively put all pending appointments on hold, preventing the Ministry of Sports from taking further steps until the legal challenges are resolved, and the matter is scheduled for mention before the Tribunal on Tuesday, 28 July.
This poses significant questions about Kenya’s preparedness for the continental tournament, given the strict deadlines set by CAF, and prolonged decisions may interfere with the set timelines for the country’s 100% readiness, potentially impacting the overall success of the event.
