Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) President Charles Nyaberi has called an urgent meeting today to resolve a leadership dispute over who will represent the federation at the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) elections on Thursday, June 19, 2025.
The dispute follows a Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) ruling last week, which urged KVF to resolve internal conflicts in line with its constitution.
The controversy began when Nyaberi and Secretary-General Ismail Chege submitted conflicting delegate names to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Nyaberi named himself, while Chege proposed Deputy Treasurer Moses Mbuthia.
The IEBC deemed KVF non-compliant with election rules, which require the delegate nomination to be jointly signed by both the president and secretary general, as per Article 17.4 of the NOC-K constitution. As a result, the federation risks exclusion from Thursday’s vote unless it resolves the impasse.
Nyaberi challenged the decision in court, arguing his appointment aligns with the election’s intent. However, the SDT dismissed his claim, emphasizing internal mechanisms must be exhausted first. A similar ruling was made recently in a case involving the Kenya Taekwondo Federation.
The NOC-K elections, originally set for April 24, were postponed after several federations—including volleyball, taekwondo, handball, and triathlon—failed to submit legitimate delegate names.
Although a court temporarily allowed them to participate, that decision was reversed after it emerged that key tribunal rulings had been withheld.
Despite the turmoil, the SDT has now ordered that elections proceed without further delays. Federations failing to comply with internal dispute resolution protocols may be barred from the vote.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has also weighed in, stressing that elections must follow NOC-K’s constitution, which designates federation presidents as default delegates unless officially replaced. The IOC expressed concern over delays caused by internal wrangles and called on stakeholders to act in good faith.
The June 19 vote will see 13 key positions contested, including the NOC-K presidency. With incumbent Paul Tergat stepping down, Secretary-General Francis Mutuku and First Vice President Shadrack Maluki are the front-runners. Other notable contests include Barnaba Korir vs. Anthony Ombok for vice president, and Andrew Mudibo vs. John Ogola for secretary general.
A court review is scheduled ten days post-election to verify adherence to the SDT’s directives. Until then, all eyes are on the federations to resolve their disputes and on NOC-K to deliver a credible election process.
