SDT orders Gor Mahia to conduct elections in 90 days

The Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) has ordered Kenyan record champions Gor Mahia to conduct elections within the 90 days under the current club constitution.
The ruling comes after Benard Agwera Omolo moved to the tribunal on 1 September 2024 and sued chairman Ambrose Rachier, vice-chairman Francis Wasuna, Secretary General Sam Ochola and the club treasurer Dolfina Odhiambo.
The club’s executives were taken to the tribunal for largely failing to conduct an election within constitutional timelines.
The current Gor Mahia Executive Committee was elected into office on 8 August 2020 on a four-year term that expired on 8 August.
General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for 6 September 2024 which was to discuss among others, the club’s elections but this was after the expiry of their term.
It is on this basis that Omolo approached the tribunal seeking seven prayers that included a declaration that the notice by the executive committee for the intended AGM be declared illegal.
Omolo also petitioned the tribunal to declare that the Executive Committee as currently constituted cannot legally transact any business on behalf of the club.
Thirdly, the claimant sought an order directing the Registrar of Sports to form a caretaker committee for transition on behalf of the club.
While the tribunal largely agreed with Omolo, it observed that some of the prayers sought will trigger a crisis in the club and therefore issued six orders that would help in finding a solution to the matter.
The first order was that the elections be held within the next 90 days from the date of the ruling under the current constitution.
The second order was that the members of the Executive Committee currently holding office will continue holding office for not more than 90 days from the day of the ruling to ensure the continuity of activities of the club and facilitate the elections.
The tribunal also ordered that the cut-off date for the members to vote shall be those who will be in the register by 31 March 2025 provided that the members, who had registered by 31 December 2024 be allowed to vote as they had legitimate expectations to vote in the elections scheduled for 2024.
The tribunal ordered the matter be mentioned periodically before it for purposes of monitoring compliance with the directives with the first mention set for Tuesday 4 February 2025.
The elections will bring an end to the tenure of long-serving chairman Rachier, who is on his second term under the Sports Act and his more than a decade-long reign as the club boss