FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter and the Honourable Ochilo Ayacko, Kenyan Minister for Gender, Sports, Culture and Social Services, met in Zurich on 20 and 21 July 2004 in the presence of Dr Kipchoge Keino, International Olympic Committee member and President of the Kenyan National Olympic Committee, to discuss the situation of football in Kenya and to seek solutions to re-launch the Kenyan Football Federation (KFF) and the sport of football in Kenya on the basis of good governance, transparency and the development of local football talent, with a special focus on youth and women. Subsequent meetings were organised between the Kenyan delegation and the FIFA administration.

During the meetings, which were held in a friendly, positive, constructive and frank atmosphere, in line with the meeting of 9 July 2004 chaired by Dr Viacheslav Koloskov, FIFA Executive Committee Member and Chairman of the Associations Committee, the following was agreed:

To work together in a constructive manner so as to create a framework through which the FIFA Emergency Committee will be enabled to provisionally lift the suspension of the KFF at its meeting in Zurich on 6 August 2004.

To support the creation of the KFF Normalisation Committee under the chairmanship of Dr Keino, as proposed by FIFA. Both President Blatter and Minister Ayacko warmly expressed their thanks to Dr Keino for accepting this nomination.

To give all necessary support to the Normalisation Committee to function and carry out its mandate (i.e. access to the headquarters of the KFF, etc.) upon its approval by the FIFA Emergency Committee.

To work together to re-launch the FIFA Goal Project to build a technical centre for the development of Kenyan national teams.

To support the re-launch of the preparation of the Harambee Stars in the qualification process for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™, to call upon the KFF Premier League clubs and Kenya Football Group (KFG) League clubs to commit by 1 August to the creation of a unified league, and to organise the competition to begin in September 2004.

To support the re-drafting of the KFF Statutes, in line with Kenyan laws and the FIFA Standard Statutes and Regulations, with the objective of creating a modern structure for the development of Kenyan football and the election of KFF officials in accordance with the revised statutes by 31 December 2004. The revised statutes shall define a simplified electoral process intended to set up a clear, democratic and transparent structure. The Normalisation Committee shall seek to enhance the role of clubs as well as safeguard the crucial role of amateur football in Kenya.

To support Dr Keino’s efforts to set up clear accounting and administrative structures in order to ensure financial transparency with a Secretary proposed by Chairman Keino and nominated by FIFA.

For all parties to help facilitate the electoral process under the supervision of FIFA, CAF, the Kenya National Sports Council and the Kenya NOC.

The Minister expressed the Government’s views and proposals regarding the composition of the KFF Normalisation Committee and the representation thereof. The FIFA Administration agreed on the following, which will be presented to the FIFA Emergency Committee:

The further nominations to the Normalisation Committee are to include:
(i) Nationwide League (2nd division) football clubs, in addition to KFF and KFG club representatives.
(ii) Representatives of youth and women’s football.
(iii) The Commissioner of Sports, the CEO of the Sports Stadium Management Board, and the Chairman of the Kenyan National Sports Council.

That the members of the Normalisation Committee shall commit not to run for any official positions in the next KFF elections.

The automatic dismissal of any member of the Normalisation Committee officially convicted by national courts on fraudulent charges.

‘As both the FIFA President and a football fan, I am particularly happy with today’s breakthrough in dialogue with the Kenyan government,’ said President Blatter. ‘There is much to be achieved before the beginning of August, but I’m optimistic that the Kenyan football family can reconcile and play again in the light of what Harambee means in Swahili – ‘to all pull together’.’

Hon. Minister Ayacko said: ‘This meeting is a confirmation that FIFA, the Government and the football family in Kenya reaffirm their commitment to respecting the concluding four points in the ten-point FIFA Fair Play Code, namely (a) reject corruption, drugs and racism, (b) help others to resist corrupting pressures, (c) denounce those who attempt to discredit our sport, and (d) honour those who defend football’s good reputation.’

The initial part of the first day’s meeting was chaired by FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter, with the subsequent meetings chaired by Deputy General Secretary Jérôme Champagne. The Kenyan delegation comprised the following persons: Ochillo Ayacko (Hon. Minister of Gender, Sports, Culture and Social Services), Emmanuel Odwour (Commissioner for Sports), H.E. Amina C. Mohamed (Ambassador/Permanent Representative of the Kenya Mission to the UN in Geneva), Anthony Muchiri (Counsellor of the Kenya Mission to the UN in Geneva), Dr. Kipchoge Keino (Chairman Normalisation Committee), Haraun Bomett (Senior Vice-Chairman of the former KFF) and Bob Munro (Chairman Mathare United FC).

Further information from:

FIFA Media Department
Since 1 January 2004, Telephone: +41-43/222 7272 – Telefax : +41-43/222 7373 – E-mail : media@fifa.org