Blow as court halts Cricket Kenya elections, again

In a ruling delivered in Nairobi under Petition No. 236 of 2026, Justice R.E. Aburili issued conservatory orders stopping the elections that had been set for Sunday, April 19, at Ruaraka Sports Club.

The court barred Cricket Kenya and other respondents from proceeding with the electoral process pending an inter parties hearing of the case filed by petitioners Juliana Kathure and David Obuya.

The judge noted that allowing the elections to proceed would render the petition nugatory, especially given the urgency and weight of the issues raised.

Additionally, a separate order restrained an official named in the case from executing any electoral functions until the matter is heard and determined.

The suspension comes as a major setback for Kenyan cricket, with the elections widely viewed as a make-or-break moment for the federation.

The process had drawn significant scrutiny from the International Cricket Council (ICC), which has already halted funding to Cricket Kenya over governance concerns.

The ICC had made it clear that credible elections were a prerequisite for reviewing Kenya’s membership status at its upcoming board meeting later this month.

Failure to resolve the ongoing wrangles could see the country risk further sanctions or continued suspension from global cricket structures.

The elections featured several key contests, including the chairman race between Bhavesh Gohil and former national team captain Tom Tikolo.

Other positions such as treasurer, director of county associations, and director of women’s cricket were also set for competitive races, while Pearlyne Omamo was in course to be elected unopposed as vice chair.

Only 57 delegates from 19 compliant counties had been cleared to vote, with 13 others locked out for failing to meet legal and constitutional requirements under the Sports Act.

The process was to be overseen by an Independent Elections Panel led by Aggrey Chabeda.

With the court’s intervention, the future of Cricket Kenya now hangs in the balance as stakeholders await the next legal steps and the potential implications from the ICC.