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Nairobi – Kenyan Premier League champion Gor Mahia has suspended Secretary General Sam Ochola for going behind the back of the Executive Committee to sign a letter of endorsement for the broadcast agreement from the Kenya Football Federation and StarTimes.
Gor is among several clubs that have rejected the broadcast deal between the Federation and the Chinese broadcast giants, which will run for the next seven years.
In a forceful statement Tuesday night, President Ambrose Rachier said Ochola signed a letter of endorsement that would bind the club to the deal, despite the Executive Committee’s position.
“This morning, by whatever means used, they (FKF) got our Secretary General to pretend to issue to StarTimes an endorsement of the agreement that all the members of the Executive Committee have retracted and I have a letter signed by all the members addressed to StarTimes saying to them, the letter has no legal effect and should not be considered a basis for any contractual rights, “Rachier said in a statement Tuesday night.
He added; “Mr. Ochola, knowing this very well, proceeded to write a letter of endorsement to StarTimes to pretend to give up our rights and then went into hiding. If I had been man enough, I would have said ‘here I am, I have signed the letter. A very cowardly act. “
“Disciplinary action has been taken against the errant general secretary and I have already informed the club patron Hon Raila Amolo Odinga of these events. We have suspended the SG pending further disciplinary action. As a lawyer, I believe in the right to be heard. We will listen to it before taking more drastic action, “said Rachier.
Gor Mahia has voiced his opposition to the new top-tier streaming deal with StarTimes and Rachier has clearly said that he can’t sign a deal that he hasn’t seen.
It also claims that the Federation does not have Locus Standi to sign any broadcast agreements on behalf of the clubs, saying that this is the sole responsibility of each of the 18 Kenyan Premier League teams.
“Article 81 of the FKF constitution does not confer such rights on the Federation over the broadcast rights of any club. It is for this reason that the FKF has been persuading, coercing and blackmailing the KPL clubs to support such rights. to StarTimes, “Rachier said. before accusing the Federation of blackmail clubs to back the deal.
Efforts to reach the Federation on the same issue were unsuccessful.
“We are not ignorant of signing documents that we have not seen,” Rachier added.
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He says he is ready to go to the negotiating table with the Federation, adding that 10 other Premier League clubs have the same sentiments. He says that on Monday they had a meeting with seven clubs with four proxies and all agreed that they will not sign the seven-year contract.
“I asked for a copy of the contract and there was no response. When the Federation signed an agreement with BetKing, I wanted to see it and they gave it to me. When I read and found nothing in conflict with my contract with Betsfae, signed.”
“We do not dispute the authority of the Federation to run the league, but they do not have the right to sell the rights of my club without the authority of the club. They have sought it, which was denied and now they have resorted to clandestine tactics to obtain the signature, “declared an irate Rachier.
Going forward, he says the clubs will only sign the deal when they are involved and they are also made to understand the details of the contract.
