Gor elections: Wasuna to deputise Chairman Rachier, Bolo protests defeat

Milton Ochieng Chief Writer, Gor Mahia

Gor Mahia Senior Vice Chair Francis Wasuna has retained his seat in a hotly contested club elections held electronically Saturday August 8 in Nairobi.

Wasuna trounced former club treasurer Sally Bolo by garnering 226 votes (58.1 percent) against Sally Bolo’s 163 representing 41.9 percent of the total votes cast.

However Bolo protested her defeat saying the process was not ‘free and fair’ exposing the club to possible litigation at the Sports Dispute Tribunal.

Dolphine Adhiambo was also elected the Honorary Treasurer beating Chrispine Omoga by 286 votes to 108.

The victors join long-serving chair Ambrose Rachier and new secretary Sam Ocholla in a new-look executive committee of four. Rachier and Ocholla had no opposition, sailing through easily.

Bolo said she read foul play in the results transmission saying she could not access the tallies from her end despite being given a code by the election board.

Media personality Ocholla succeeds little known Ben Omondi who did not defend his seat.

Former outspoken deputy secretary general Ronald Ngala kept off the polls with his name not appearing on the ballot.

Rachier, in 2019, had indicated he would be stepping down from his seat but after a change of mind, the veteran administrator revealed he got the blessing of his family to once again go for the top.

Prior to this polls, the Board’s secretary general Kennedy Mbara had indicated that a section of interested parties had petitioned for the postponement of the elections but they found no sufficient reasons to do so.

The election of the quartet is expected to herald a new dawn, possibly,  at the record Kenyan Premier League champions whose declaration by FKF as this season’s champions still hangs in the balance following a court tussle from disgruntled players namely KPL Limited and Chemelil Sugar FC.

Should the FKF decision to declare them champions stand, their first headache will be to start preparations for the CAF Champions League, a space they have dominated year after year, dwarfing their Kenyan contemporariries.

The first task for the incoming office will be to solve the monetary problems dogging the club, with the incoming shirt sponsor, a gaming firm, pumping in a juicy-looking Sh55 million a year for three years.

The new office needs to have a decent plan to see the club morph out of the perennial financial crisis.

Meanwhile, a section of Gor Mahia stars have left the club including Tanzanian shot stopper David Mapigano who has joined Azam back home in the Tanzanian top tier league. Boniface Omondi has also joined Wazito and chairman Ambrose Rachier admits he was out of contract.

Keeper Fredrick Odhiambo has also joined Omondi at moneybags Wazito who despite spending heavily at the beginning of last season in recruiting fresh talents failed to impress in the top tier league.