National Olympic Committee of Kenya’s drive for resolutions on adaptation of a new constitution hit a snag after the executive committee used their numbers to vote against amendments at an Extraordinary Meeting on Tuesday in Nairobi.
This comes a week after a similar meeting was aborted following disputes between the NOC-K executive committee members and its affiliates as both sides could not reach a stalemate prompting NOC-K President Kipchoge Keino pull the plug on proceedings.
In Tuesday’s session, voting was required to get the required number for its adoption with two thirds majority rule provided in the stipulated guidelines.
The Kipchoge Keino led NOCK, as is in past elections, voted as a block to garner 13 votes against 19 from the affiliates’ side.
This fell short of the required threshold, meaning a cloud of uncertainty still hangs over the Olympic body.
The International Olympic Committee,IOC Head of Institutional Relations Jerome Poivey and Africa National Olympics Committees Association President’s chief of staff Mohamed Azzoug observed the process after last week’s directive by Keino to halt the meeting.
NOCK derailing the process, affiliates
This show of might by the Executive Committee could have repercussions on Kenya as IOC through Deputy Director General, Pere Miro had prior to the meeting sent a circular to NOCK strongly urging the body to pass the constitution in this latest to avoid triggering action from the world governing Olympics body.
The chairman of Kenya Table Tennis Andrew Mudibo, who has been vocal in spearheading the charge for changes, said it was a case of the executive committee using their traditional tactics to derail progress.
“They have used their numbers today to ensure that they find favour going forward because we voted using the system provided in the old system. We as the affiliates did not want the old constitution because it granted them the majority of the voting numbers,” he argued
. “We will continue fighting for what we believe is right and for change of course within the legal parameters and we shall communicate to the IOC Executive Board ahead of their meeting on March 16 and 17."
The relieved executive committee members scuttled off soon after the meeting at the Kasarani stadium, with the assistant Secretary General James Chacha was in bullish mood intimating that what transpired at the meeting was democratic and no rule was broken in their decision.
If things remain as they are, then elections would go ahead as planned in late May in accordance with the old constitution where Executive Committee members would still command the voting numbers.
IOC is set to issue a directive after the setback where sanctions against Kenya or a ban is a possibility.
