In a dramatic turn of events, the much-anticipated National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) elections scheduled for Thursday, April 24, were postponed late in the afternoon following a tense standoff involving four federations.
The polls, which were expected to usher in a new leadership at NOC-K, were halted just after 4:00 PM after last-minute attempts to reconcile voting disputes failed. This marks the first time in the organization’s history that an election has been called off after proceedings had already begun.
The chaos stemmed from a conflict involving the volleyball, handball, triathlon, and taekwondo federations — all of which had earlier received High Court clearance to participate in the elections.
Despite the court’s directive, a fresh row emerged over who exactly should represent the federations at the ballot — the Chairman or the Secretary General. The disagreement sparked a prolonged deadlock that threw the entire voting process into disarray.
A Committee in Crisis
NOC-K Secretary General Francis Mutuku, who is also vying for the Presidential seat, addressed the media after hours of internal meetings.
“After three hours of haggling, we retreated as an executive committee, but even within ourselves, we were unable to get a solution,” Mutuku said.
“We have therefore proposed that the meeting be adjourned to another date as we try to resolve the issue with the affected federations.”
Mutuku confirmed that despite the confusion, the four federations could not legally be excluded, citing their valid court orders. He expressed optimism that a new election date will be agreed upon soon.
“Our NOC-K programs will not be affected by this delay. We are confident that we will resolve the impasse quickly,” he added.
The adjournment adds another layer of complexity to what had already been a contested electoral process. The Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) had earlier reversed its own decision to cancel the elections after an appeal was launched Thursday morning.
The tribunal listened to arguments from both sides for nearly four hours before giving the green light for the elections to proceed — only for the stalemate among the federations to derail the process yet again.
A Divided House
Mutuku’s opponent in the presidential race, Shadrack Maluki, did not hide his frustration at the day’s events. He criticized the delay, warning it would stall NOC-K’s operations.
“We came here ready to go on with the process, and this pushed us backwards. The problem is that no work will go on because the only thing we shall focus on is the elections,” Maluki said.
With the electoral committee unable to make a final call, all candidates and delegates were left in limbo. Many had hoped the day would bring clarity, but instead, it deepened the cracks within Kenya’s Olympic movement.
Together with the FKF General Secretary, I attended the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) AGM earlier today.
It’s our hope that all outstanding issues will be resolved and that NOCK will soon conduct free, fair and all inclusive elections. pic.twitter.com/TNSsSKWiIg
— Hussein Mohammed (@husseinmoha) April 24, 2025
Clock Ticking on Deadline
The association now has until Sunday, April 30, to finalize the electoral process, as per the regulations set by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Failure to meet the deadline could raise serious governance questions and potentially attract international scrutiny.
The stakes are high, not just for the candidates but for the entire sports fraternity in Kenya. The NOC-K elections are seen as crucial in determining how the country’s Olympic agenda will be shaped ahead of major global competitions, including the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics.
While the delay is being described as unfortunate, it has highlighted the deep governance challenges and internal wrangles that continue to plague some of Kenya’s sports federations. The inability to decide on a voting representative — despite a court directive — paints a worrying picture of coordination and unity within the sporting ranks.
As the dust settles on a chaotic day in Nairobi, the sports world will be watching closely to see how NOC-K navigates the days ahead. The decisions made now will shape not just the future of the committee but potentially the direction of Kenya’s Olympic ambitions.
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