Mutuku: New sports federations won’t vote in NOC-K elections

The National Olympic Committe [NOC-K]Secretary  General Francis Mutuku says the several sports federations recently incorporated into the body— including e-sports, ice hockey, break dancing, cricket, lucrose, and gymnastics — will not participate in the voting process during the committee’s April 2025 elections.

However, Mutuku says they will actively contribute to the committee’s planning activities.

“Our intention is to make them members; however, incorporating them now might be misinterpreted as an attempt to inflate voting numbers. Therefore, their full affiliation has been deferred until the next general assembly in April 2025,” said Mutuku.

The NOC-K elections, scheduled for Thursday, 24 April 2025, will mark the end of the tenure of the current office. The election roadmap, recently shared with member federations, outlines a clear timeline and process.

The current Executive Board, which assumed office in December 2021 after delays caused by the rescheduling of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to 2021, will see its term conclude with the election.

Between 10–20 February 2025 the Member federations will propose the Electoral Board. Then on 17 April 2025 NOC-K will circulate the final list of eligible candidates for the 13 elective positions on the Executive Board before the voting is done on 24 April 2025.

Following the elections, a 30-day appeal window will run from 25 April to 24 May 2025. During this period, the election Observer and Returning Officer will prepare a report for the Sports Registrar.

A handover date for the new officials has been tentatively set for between 1-8 May 2025, barring any appeals.

Notably, incumbent NOC-K President Paul Tergat, who has served two terms, won’t be eligible to run. His successor will lead Kenya’s Olympic efforts heading into the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

This election will also feature enhanced transparency measures, including the adoption of key codes of conduct and compliance with Sports Registrar regulations, ensuring a smooth transition of leadership for Kenyan sports.