NAIROBI, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Football Kenya Federation (FKF) chief executive Barry Otieno formally resigned on Tuesday, barely two months before the governing body's elections.
Otieno, who rose from communications officer to chief executive, had served in the position for five years, with speculation mounting that he intended to stand for election as the next FKF president.
"After five years of serving in this esteemed position, I have decided to step down and pursue other opportunities. My journey with FKF has been both rewarding and transformative," Otieno said in a statement issued in Kenya's capital Nairobi.
In November 2021, Otieno and Nick Mwendwa, who is seeking re-election as FKF president, were arrested on charges relating to misuse and misappropriation of government funds to the federation between 2017 and 2021.
Later that month, the then-Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed appointed a caretaker committee to run FKF after disbanding the federation.
World football governing body FIFA then warned of dire consequences if the government continued interfering, before Kenya was suspended from international football in March 2022.
The case against the two was dropped before FIFA ended the international suspension nine months later and they were reinstated to office once the current government came to power.
Besides two-term president Mwendwa, four other candidates - namely retired international Sammy Owino, Kenya Premier League Limited CEO Jack Oguda, Tom Alila and Hussein Mohammed - are also eying the top FKF seat.
According to the Kenya Sports Act of 2013, officials in governing bodies should serve a maximum of two terms, technically ruling Mwendwa out of the race, but according to the federation chief, FKF had not aligned itself with the law during his first term that ran from 2016 to 2020.
Otieno is reported to be the choice candidate of the incumbent should Mwendwa be barred from contesting.
The December FKF elections are significant, with the country set to co-host the finals of the 2025 Africa Nations Championships in February next year, and the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations alongside Tanzania and Uganda.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe conducted his first inspection tour of the country in September where he toured the facilities being prepared for the continental events, as well as meeting federation and government officials including Kenyan President William Ruto.
Motsepe declared he was satisfied with the arrangements in place, adding he would return in December for another inspection visit. ■
