NOC-K delays elections date following death of KBF boss Paul Otula

During an online meeting chaired by NOC-K president Paul Tergat on May 2, the executive resolved to postpone setting a new election date until after Otula’s burial arrangements are finalised.

“We agreed that we needed to give our member Otula a dignified farewell, hence deferred everything until a date for his burial is announced, which we are waiting for,” said NOC-K secretary general Francis Mutuku.

“We shall meet after Otula’s burial to set the dates for the elections,” added Mutuku, who is challenging Kenya Judo Federation president Shadrack Maluki for the NOC-K presidency.

During the same meeting, the executive also discussed several court cases that led to the adjournment of the elections that were scheduled for April 24.

Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF), Kenya Handball Federation (KHF), and Triathlon Kenya (TK)have active cases at the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT).

These cases were mentioned at the SDT yesterday afternoon. KVF president Charles Nyaberi and KHF chairman Francis Paul are seeking tribunal orders to declare them the sole voters on behalf of their federations.

However, confusion has emerged within KVF after the federation board nominated Moses Mbuthia, who is contesting the treasurer’s post, as its voting delegate, while Nyaberi nominated himself.  

The NOC-K Constitution stipulates that only presidents or chairpersons may vote in the Elective Assembly, a condition Mbuthia does not fulfil. Nyaberi is aligned with Maluki’s camp, which has fielded KVF gender chairperson Waweru Mududa for the women’s representative post. Meanwhile, Mbuthia is running as an independent.

In the KHF camp, chairman Francis Paul and secretary general Nderitu Gikaria are clashing over who should cast the federation’s vote. Gikaria is contesting for a seat on the NOC-K executive committee.

Ambiguities remain in both the NOC-K Constitution and the 2025 Election Regulations regarding who precisely is authorized to carry a federation’s vote. Section 17.4 of the NOC-K Constitution states that nominations are only valid if signed by both the president and/or secretary general of the respective federation.

Meanwhile, Article 5.2 of the 2025 Election Regulations requires each federation to be represented by two delegates—one being either the president or secretary general—who will carry the vote, as long as a letter signed by both top officials designates them.

Ironically, these three federations were among four that initially sought to halt the elections through legal petitions, but their cases were dismissed, clearing the path for the polls.

A critical turning point was a ruling by the High Court in Nairobi that allowed four federations to participate in the elections. However, due to internal disputes over voting delegates, they failed to proceed, prompting an adjournment.

Justice Bahati Mwamuye of the Milimani High Court later revoked his earlier ruling, accusing the petitioners of failing to disclose two prior SDT rulings that had permitted the elections to proceed under specific conditions.

Meanwhile, Kenya Taekwondo Federation chairman Suleiman Sumba challenged the electoral process on election day, citing the IEBC and NOC-K returning officer Muthee Gakuru’s decision to bar his federation. The same issue had been dismissed by the SDT the previous evening, allowing elections to proceed.

Despite the SDT’s ruling against him, Sumba filed an urgent application at the High Court on the morning of the elections.

Additionally, Kenya Table Tennis Association (KTTA) president Andrew Mudibo, along with 13 other federations, petitioned the SDT to disqualify four candidates for violating nomination rules.

The IEBC referred Mudibo to the SDT, which on the eve of the elections temporarily halted the process.

However, acting SDT chairperson Njeri Onyango ruled the following morning that elections could proceed, referring any eligibility concerns to the Elective Congress for determination.