Pre Match: Sofapaka (H)

Leopards start the second leg of the 2012 KPL season with a home match against Sofapaka tonight. It is the battle of second versus third on the league table.

Futaa reports:-

AFC Leopards assistant coach Mickey Weche says they are close to ending their winless streak in league action.

The usually dominant Leopards have gone five Kenyan Premier League matches without victory and are desperately in need of one, if they are to get their title campaign back on track.

They face off with Sofapaka today, Wednesday 27 June 2012 and Weche wants them to start with victory, though he admits it will be tough but wants victory to lift the club.

-Playing against Sofapaka will not be easy. They are very hard to beat and can cause anyone problems on a good day.

-Last time they beat us and we just want to make sure that it is not the same this time, though it will be very difficult for us. We hope for the best, he told Futaa.com.

Leopards will remain third in the current KPL table regardless if the result today, though a win will reduce the gap between them and Sofapaka to just one point.

KPL website reports:-

PAUL Were makes his debut for AFC Leopards tonight as the team starting against Sofapaka shows several changes to side that drew 1-1 with Sony Sugar last Wednesday.

Were came from champions Tusker but was not even on the bench at Mumias last week. Leopards captain, Martin Imbalambla, who came off the bench last week to replace Samuel “Misse” Mwangi, returns to the starting line-up in front of the back four of Edwin Wafula, Eric Masika, Jonas Nahimana and Idrissa Rajab. Abbas Kiwalabye drops to the bench.

Edward Seda, the surprise starter in the middle of the park drops off completely alongside Mwangi and incomes Laurent Tumba and Were.

The Leopards v Sony match was a catch-up fixture, postponed from the first leg and therefore Leopards and Sofapaka, just like when going into the mid-term break, will be kicking off their Kenyan Premier League second leg, unlike other teams that did so over the weekend.

Goals by John Baraza [13th and 60th minute] earned Sofapaka a 2-1 win last time, on May 16, Leopards replying through Imbalambala in the 68th minute.

Sofapaka have kept virtually the same shape, save for the departed Musa Mudde in the middle of the park. His place has been taken by ex-Gor Mahia Collins Okoth. Sofapaka will also bring on to the bench talented defender Abdulatif Omar, kept off for over 18 months by a long time injury. The left full-back hopes to ease in during a rehabilitation period.

TEAMS:
AFC LEOPARDS - 19. Barnabas Tiema, 5. Edwin Wafula, 40. Eric Masika, 17. Jonas Nahimana, 46. Idrissa Rajab, 4. Martin Imbalambala (captain), 8. Laurent Tumba, 22. Bernard Mang’oli, 44. Paul Were, 9. Allan Wanga, 11. Mike Baraza
Reserves - 1. Simon Lusaka, Gk; 12. Augustine Etemesi, 14. Amon Muchiri, 10. Charles Okwemba, 34. Victor Ochieng’, 3. Abbassi Kiwalabye, 50. Jimmy Bageya
Coach - Jan Koops [The Netherlands]
SOFAPAKA - 39. Duncan Ochieng’: 15. Hashim Mukwana, 8. Juma Abdalla, 40. Eugene Asike, 5. Edgar “Fighter” Ochieng’, 14. James Situma (Captain), 45. Collins Okoth, 21. John Njoroge, 11. Anthony Kimani, 20. Humphrey Ochieng’ Mieno, 12. John Baraza
Reserves - 29. David Okello, Gk; 10. Robert Binja, 9. Bob Mugalia, 22. Heretier Luvualu, 35. Felly Mulumba, 18. Dimonde Selenga, 3. Abdulatif Omar
Coach - Salim Ali
Referee - Raphael Nduati [Thika]
Assistant ref - Peter Kiereini [Gatundu]
Asst ref - Stephen Maina [Maragwa]
Reserve ref - Edward Lumbugu [Magadi]
Match commissioner - Samuel Omwoyo [Kisii]

 

Sponsor Speaks

PAMELA Lutta is the Director of Marketing & Corporate Affairs for Mumias Sugar Company and over the years, the firm has built up a sports sponsorship portfolio in soccer. She has been at the forefront of making Kenyan Premier League side, AFC Leopards an incredible success story.

She talked to Mobi.com about how it all started and the future of Mumias Sugar Company’s support of soccer in the country.

QUESTION: Why and when did Mumias Sugar Company get involved in sports sponsorship, particularly at AFC Leopards?

ANSWER : The history of Mumias Sugar Company sports sponsorship is almost as old as the company itself. In the mid-seventies, the company supported inter-departmental sports competitions, mainly football where departmental teams that were known by acronyms such as SAPA, ODS, FWAE and Agriserv had become household names on the Estate. From among these teams Mumias formed its own football team then known as Musco FC that later changed to Mumias Sugar Football Club. The Team qualified to play in the then National Super League where it remained until 2007 when it was officially disbanded. The company however continued to support soccer and sports in general.

We got involved with AFC Leopards in November 2010 when through CSR [Community Social Responsibility] we supported their last three league games of that season following club management appeal to Mumias for financial support. As a company we decided to support the club as part of our contribution to developing and nurturing youth talent.

Further discussions and appeals by club management and one spirited AFC supporter, Francis Wangara (KUSPW SG) eventually culminated in long-term sponsorship discussions and finally the three-year contract was signed between the two parties.

Q: Mumias is the current sponsor of AFC Leopards. This partnership shows Mumias’ substantial investment and support for the team. What fraction of Mumias’ resources is dedicated to club?

A: The AFC Leopards’ sponsorship is just one of the many CSR initiatives that the company undertakes. From January 2011 Mumias took up a Sh60 Million sponsorship of AFC Leopards for three years. The first year sponsorship was pegged at Sh 15 million, the current one is at Sh.20 million while the final year it will be Sh25 million. The sponsorship is renewable depending on the team’s performance.

It should be noted that the company other than the sponsorship extends a lot to the club including Medical cover by AAR, sponsoring team’s motivational and team building activities, kitting and supplementary support especially during the pre-season.

Q: What does or did Mumias Sugar hope to get from sponsoring AFC Leopards?

A : First and foremost Mumias hopes to make a contribution to the society by supporting, nurturing and growing youth sport talent. We hope that some if not all players will realise their full potential and achieve greater heights in professional football.

It being a win-win situation we also hope that the Mumias sugar brand will have an opportunity to engage with the consumers. AFC Leopards have one of the largest following not only in Kenya but in Africa as a whole. It is a great football team and the brand association is great for Mumias too.

Q: Financial depth is the key for any soccer club hoping to make it big in continental matches. In the event that AFC Leopards win the 2012 Kenyan Premier League and qualify for [Africa] continental competition, will Mumias Sugar support the club financially?

A: There is as Luhya and Swahili proverb for that: “Shiwakhalia ing’ombe wakhaywa okhulia omushira (you can’t eat a whole cow and be defeated to eat the tail), or in Kiswahili, “Maji ukishayavulia nguo hauna budi kuyaoga (after stripping ready to take a bath, you have no otherwise). The answer is, “Yes”, we will definitely support the club.

Q: One of the basic principles of soccer marketing is to cater to the fans, yet many Premier League clubs do a poor job marketing themselves to their fan base. What teams do you think do a better job than others and what tactics could most teams use to better their situation?

A: It will not be fair for us to judge which teams have done what in terms of marketing as most of the activities are not just about strategy but also a financial aspect to it and not all teams are equal in this respect.

But certainly Gor Mahia, AFC Leopards and to some extent Sofapaka and Tusker stand out because of the fan-base; merchandising through branded jerseys, ‘T’-shirts, scarves, caps etc. This enables them to be more visible.

Merchandising through the fan-base, to drive brand visibility is perhaps not the only tactic but in my opinion one of the best. Engagement with the fans through activities off pitch is also a good way to market. Utilisation of communication channels like social media is also a must do.

Q: Is there any negative side to sponsorship in soccer that would make you think twice in the future?

A : Every coin has a flip side. Certain issues that have a negative impact on the club performance usually emerge, issues that have nothing to do with sponsorship but you get affected as a sponsor. For example leadership wrangles among club members are a downside.

Ugly scenes at matches especially fan trouble or hooliganism are also a downside as usually the sponsors brand is associated as you cannot separate the club fans, team and sponsor given the branding etc.

These are all things that make a sponsor think twice.

Q: Do you feel there is anything Soccer industry as a whole could do to increase the value for corporate sponsorship?

A : There is need for harmony between Fifa and national governments. There is need for transparency and accountability by national federations. National federations should do more at grass root level to develop football at grass root level as there is a lot of talent waiting to be identified and nurtured. As a company we have noted this when we run the annual community soccer tournament dubbed Utamu Halisi Soccer Challenge Title.

The industry executives also need to reach out to more corporate and other able sponsors to support soccer growth through support of clubs not only at Premier League level but even other divisions.

Soccer marketing should be enhanced so as to have more investment in the sport which will definitely enhance the profile of the game. Also if standards are improved it means the teams will feature more widely and this has benefit of brand exposure not just for the players but also the sponsors and with this more corporate may consider coming on board.

The association of soccer with hooliganism, fan trouble, politics sometimes may deter some potential corporate sponsors. Campaigns to root out these vices would go a long way in giving the sport a positive image and maybe encourage more sponsors to come on board.

Most corporates would want to understand the ROL [Return On Relationship] in sponsoring teams hence it would be necessary for the industry to aggressively market potential benefits of sponsorship.

Q: Does AFC Leopards and Mumias get enough spotlight, be it by SuperSport (in terms of ‘live’ games) or in the local print, online and TV press? And are you satisfied with the publicity you both get?

A : Yes, we get publicity through the team kit branding. I, however, feel that more can be done; maybe by dedicating some of the features on the sponsors of the various teams. Some airtime dedicated to the sponsors if feasible.

Q : Does Mumias plan to extend the AFC Leopards’ sponsorship, if so, for how long?

A : Yes, we plan on extending the sponsorship for another three [3] years but this will be by mutual agreement with club.

QUICK FIRE SLOT :

Being an AFC Leopards fan and sponsor, what has been your highlight so far? 

- My highlight has been the turn-around in the club performance as, although there have been bad days when the team lost, I guess that is why we have Win, Loss, Draw on the table and that is football

- My other highlight has been seeing what unifying factor soccer is. It has been great seeing fans from all walks of life turning up in large numbers to support the team and follow it at all matches and encourage the team even when they are on the low

Favourite AFC Player? 

- I would say that all the 28 players are really my favourites. They each bring on board unique skills and qualities. Also being involved and interacting with the team from a motivational angle and in encouraging team work and spirit all players are a favorite as they realize not one individual can make it happen as soccer is a team sport and everybody counts

Which team do you support? 

- I support AFC Leopards as a diehard fan, both my sons play soccer with the my first son being a starter in the Ushauri Sport team so I support Ushauri as well and finally my sons are diehard supporters of Manchester United so rather than risk being left on my own the whole time when EPL is running, I support Man U so I can be part of their lives and interests

Since you joined soccer what’s the most interesting thing you have learnt? 

- That soccer is a very emotive game both from team and fan perspective but incredibly unifying. At the beginning of our engagement with AFC Leopards, Mumias paid player salaries on time and every other financial support but there were no wins forthcoming. They lost like five matches in a row and at best afforded a draw.

It was strange because people thought that the team had the best financial support and the performance was expected to be superb.

I then took closer interest in the team and I realised that financial support alone wasn’t everything but that a winning team needed more. Motivation to drive their inner self belief, psyche and attitude was paramount. It is at this point that I started to invest my time in team motivational talk and team building. This has been very impactful on the team and even on individual players especially in maintaining positivity and self belief. It may not have ensured the team stays in the ‘Win’ column only but certainly there has been a noted difference in the team disposition and attitude.

Post Match: Sony (H)

Leopards drew 1-1 with Sony to conclude the first leg of the 2012 season.

MichezoAfrika writes:-

 

Hosts AFC Leopards shared the spoils with Sony Sugar in a rescheduled and well attended Kenyan Premier league first leg match played at Mumias Complex on Wednesday afternoon. Allan Wanga’s second half header cancelled Enock Agwanda’s first half goal to give both teams a worthwhile point.

AFC Leopards’s Bernand Mang’oli got the first chance of the game but his distant shot was an easy pick for Sony keeper Wilson Obungu. Sony replied with a long throw into the AFC box but Nahimana rose to head the danger out.

Mike Baraza then weaved his way into Sony Sugar box but Kilonzo Tumba blocked his final shot for a non-resultant corner.

Leopards looked comfortable in the midfield but Sony were utilizing well the chances they got. Enock Agwanda went close with two free headers while Marwa Chamberi was a constant thorn to the Ingwe defense.

Ingwe won the first four corners of the game with new boy Idrissa Rajaab sending good balls but Sony did well to maintain the 0-0 scoreline.

27 minutes into the match Sony's Francis Ocholla tried a long range shot that veered off target giving no much worry to keeper Barnabas Tiema who was called into duty with the absence of the sick Patrick Matasi.

AFC Leopard’s Misse Mwangi tried his luck with a long range shot but couldn’t find the target.

Five minutes to the interval Sony were on the offensive. Marwa Chamberi’s headed pass found Enock Agwanda who controlled the ball well before unleashing his shot that went inside the net for the opener. Sony led 1-0 at the half time break.

At the beginning of the second period, AFC Coach Jans Koops brought in Jimmy Bageya for Edwin Seda while Zico opted for Silas Shitote in place of first goal provider Marwa Chamberi.

AFC defender Eric Masika had the first chance of the second period with a header that went wide.

Allan Wanga got the equalizer in the 56th minute with a crisp header from a free kick. Koops immediately introduced Charles Okwemba for Abbas Kiwalabye in a bid to boost the attack.

In the 67th minute Jimmy Bageya made a brilliant solo run and effort that that was deflected for a corner .The Ugandan was it again a minute later but his final pass to Allan Wanga was intercepted.

Sony substitute Vincent Ogutu played selfishly when he opted for a shot instead of a pass with quarter of an hour to go.
 
As the clock ticked, Allan Wanga’s tried another header that went wide before coach Zico threw in his last dice by bringing in Ismael Dunga for Francis Ocholla.

Jimmy Bageya then made a good run and shot that Wanga did not manage to connect to. Sony’s new substitute Ismael Dunga also added some spice to the Sony attacking force as they also had decent runs in the final minutes of the game. Okwemba wasted the final chance of the game to end the match on shared spoils.Leopards could not manage to leap frog Tusker to second position and they stick to third.

“It was important that we did not lose today. We played really well especially in the second half when my players’ morale got a little bit higher than the first half,” AFC Leopards Coach Jan Koops said after the match.

His opposite number Zedekiah Otieno was as grateful for the lone point;

“Playing away from home is never easy and when you get a point it is always better than none. I am happy with my players and happy with the point,” Zico says.

Leopards next face League leaders Sofapaka on Wednesday while Sony will be travelling to Nairobi for a match against Bankers KCB.

Futaa writes:-

AFC Leopards and SoNy Sugar closed the first leg campaigns on a fair note settling for a one all draw with millers SoNy Sugar at the Mumias Sports Complex Wednesday 20 June 2012.

The match was more of a balanced affair as SoNy gave as much as they received from high flying Ingwe through the match.

AFC Leopards caused an early scare in the match with the day’s captain Mike Baraza weaving through the Millers’ defence in the 4^th minute only to have his shot blocked by Oburu.

SoNy however bounced back proving more dangerous in attacks as Francis Ocholla and Enock Agwanda combined well with the former missing two headers in the 6^th and 14^th minute.

Wanga also missed a clear header in the 11^th minute with Wilson Oburu standing firmly on his way to deny Ingwe the early lead.

SoNy however took the driving seat in the 40^th minute after an Enock Agwanda left foot drive that left Barbanus Tiema for dead from a Marwa Chamberi cross.

AFC bounced back pushing the Millers into their own half and forcing them to concede consecutive corners and fouls in the process.

The second half witnessed various changes for both sides as both coaches made relevant changes to their squads.

AFC brought in Jimmy Bageya for Ezekiel Seda while SoNy countered the move bringing in a defender Cyrus Shitote for Marwa Chamberi.

This proved fruitful for the hosts as they pushed the ball into SoNy’s defence with Bageya dancing his way from the left flank.

Ingwe maintained their attacks with Allan Wanga leveling the scores in the 56^th minute through a header after a superb cross from Misses Mwangi.

SoNy however bounced back but Agwanda wasted another open chance shooting straight into Tiema’s hands two minutes later.

Bageya continued to irritate the SoNy defence into the dying minutes of the match but the going was made hard by SoNy defender who defender with their lives.

The draw leaves AFC still in the third position while SoNy are at 12^th  on the standings.

 
 

Analysis For Call

Predictably, the reaction from the fans on the Ssemi Aina and Anthony Walela telephone call and transcript has been devoid of any reasoning with some fans reacting emotionally to the issues at hand rather than take a considered view of the mind frames of the two conversing gentlemen.

Firstly, it is instructive that Aina is the one who made this call and in fact, he introduces himself at the beginning of the phonecall. It is therefore quite preposterous for people to think that Walela shouldn’t have taken the call just because it was Aina calling. So Walela takes this point.

Walela then opens up rather too quickly – which is a shortcoming of people who wear their hearts on their sleeves – and are not hiding cards below the table. He informs Aina that the current Chairman Alex ole Magelo is not in charge of the whole roadmap. There is truth in this matter since the parties who were feuding over his Chairmanship came to an agreement which meant that Magelo ceded some of the powers that are often enjoyed by the Chairman. Previous elections have been held under the watch of the incumbent but the Harmonization Committee has brought in a clause that states that an interim Election Board shall run the election. So technically, Magelo will not be in control of the Election Board. Walela also takes this point.

Perhaps one of the weird parts of the conversation revolves around the ‘use’ of Sammy Maina, an Aina ally to block either the AGM or the SGM. Walela gives the reasons why he thinks the SGM should go on but the AGM shouldn’t. Later in the conversation, he justifies the AGM being blocked for reasons that the time frame for registering members is not enough but he loses marks when he seems to agree that Maina should be used to block the AGM. He loses this point and it is 2-1.

The conversation then moves to the justification of the process and Walela comes out clearly that he does not trust the list of members that was posted on the official website that shows that the club has approximately 1,800 paid up members who have paid Kshs. 200. According to Walela, these are the members that Magelo wants to use to vote at the AGM of 17^th June. However, the way he puts this point seems to amount to misinformation. 

Whilst one may not be aware of what Magelo is planning or scheming, it has been indicated previously by Richard Ekhalie, who has been acting as the club CEO, that the club will allow those people who are not on this 1,800 list to register before elections are held. This seems to dovetail in with the Harmonization Committee (HC) that has recognized the list of members registered by the club and indicated that they will need to prove that they have paid the sum of Kshs. 200 and top up with the balance of Kshs. 300. So the good Doctor mis-spoke when he said ‘hiyo list yake ya mia mbili hatutaki’ because the contrary seems to be the agreed position by the HC. Its 2-2.

Aina then moves on to ask about the constituting of the Elections Board and Walela does his best to explain what the HC had proposed in the proposed constitution. Basically, former Chairman Julius Ochiel was to nominate a representative to the Board, together with the representative nominated by Magelo, a representative of Kituyi, a representative of the Registry of Societies and (perhaps Football Kenya). We say perhaps because during one of the kamukunjis held at Poolside, the idea of FKF was only proposed then and is not part of the transition clause in the proposed constitution under Clause 16(iv). However to the extent that Walela answers this correctly, we give him this point. 3-2.

Ssemi then takes him on the issue of why he was left out of those nominating the representatives to the Board. This is very sly of Ssemi because he knows that he refused to take part in the Registrar’s efforts to arbitrate in February.

Walela downplays this question at this stage by saying that even he himself has been left out yet he is not ruling out making a move for the Chairman’s seat. To the extent that he uses the word ‘might’ which also means ‘might not’ this is a point that is basically meant to deflate the fact that Ssemi shouldn’t be bothered he has been left out because Walela and indeed other people are also not nominating people to the Board. He defends the Board by saying that he doubts it can collude since it is made up of rivals and thus there is a safety net. 

Contrary to what people might conclude that he has been saying her won’t stand for election and yet he hints he may stand, this point still goes to Walela as he seeks to quell the suspicions of Ssemi of the Board by insisting it could be fair and that even he, who is not nominating, could very well throw himself in the ring and still contest under that Board. 4-2.

The other controversial piece of information that seems to have been taken from the clip was when Ssemi asked Walela, ‘You see, Wewe, Ochiel na Kituyi, nyinyi wote hamtaki election?’ and he said ‘Yeah’ Again, this is a silly way for one to look at it since Walela had clearly stated that he could very well contest the elections and that the other people were also interested in running for the post of Chairman. What Ssemi was probably talking about was ‘… election on 17^th June’  and Walela had made a case for why he was against elections on 17^th June.

Perhaps the bad faith with which this phone call has been viewed is when the same was blown out of proportion by some elements to mean that the Bukusu sub-tribe was in a grand scheme (and including Ochiel, a known non-Bukusu in the scheme). Desperation and dirty tricks really knows no limits in football and in politics.

From the propaganda machine that has been rolled out, Walela loses this point since it clearly shows that when you are called by a person who may not be your friend, you have to be on guard against such insinuations. 4-3.

Ssemi then makes a feeble attempt to pin down Walela on the roadmap by asking him whether the time liners agreed upon at the registrar were followed. Of course not and Ssemi knows he is part of the reason why they haven’t been followed. Previously, the ten day period given to harmonize the constitutions was overshot and thus the SGM set for March couldn’t be held with an incomplete constitution. The HC have also indicated that some of the appointees to the HC didn’t take up their positions for instance Grace Katasi.

After that, the roadmap was put back on the tracks with an SGM set for 6^th May but Ssemi obtained orders barring the Executive Committee and in particular Bukachi from calling the SGM. So to turn around and then ask whether the timelines have been followed when he has contributed to the delays says a lot about his intentions of the phonecall. This point is a moot point and since Walela doesn’t answer him in this manner, this point isn’t awarded.

However, Walela does a dramatic thing at this part of the conversation when he turns the questions to Ssemi. He asks him what his view is on how we should arrive at the Electoral Board. Ssemi fumbles in his answer saying things like ‘mnaogopa Magelo’, ‘different bodies’, ‘na tuwalipe’. Yes, that is Ssemi’s answer. We should get people and pay them to run our elections. To his credit, Walela prods on this point and wins the point when he makes Ssemi jump to metaphors like ‘you can not be an accused and a magistrate’ which Walela rubbishes and re-affirms his trust in an Electoral Board appointed by Magelo, Ochiel, Kituyi and the two other representatives. It’s clearly 5-3.

There is however a point that Ssemi raises after his ‘independent people’ line fails and he says the members can appoint a few of themselves to run the Electoral Board. Now, this point we shall analyse extensively from various angles. First, it seems Ssemi is happy with the idea of an Electoral Board, otherwise why would he be racking his brains on how it should be composed. And the electoral Board is found in the new constitution. So is Ssemi for or against the new constitution? It is for you to decide.

Then Ssemi also goes for something that some members of the Facebook Branch fans had previously suggested, that members should constitute the Electoral Board. Again, this is the Ssemi who has been accusing FB Branch and its affiliates of all manner of ills siding with them without really knowing it.

That side, it’s the response by Walela to this suggestion that also caught people’s imagination. Walela rightly asks what formula will be used to select the fans who will run this Board. Some people have taken this to mean Walela was disparaging the fans as being incapable of choosing themselves to run the Election Board.

So to all the fans out there, what formula would be used? There was a suggestion by some that the top three branches in terms of membership be the ones to nominate a member each but this was not followed under Clause 8 of the proposed constitution (which is in any event suspended for the first elections as per the transition clause).

To the extent that Walela gives his honest opinion, and Ssemi doesn’t give his formula, we will give him this point. 6-3.

Ssemi then launches in one of those looped discussions about loopholes being filled without offering any ideas on how the loopholes should be sealed. In fact, he comes across as an opportunist who is seeking to take advantage of the loopholes he has imagines exist and how the usual rushing to court may not cease. Walela asks him ‘from where’ when he says the matters need to be dealt with. 

Again this is clever of Walela as he seeks to draw answers and Ssemi offers merely the ‘let us sit down and talk’ response. Well , he is already talking on the phone and it is unlikely that when you sit down, more clever ideas will arise. But Walela calls the bluff and offers to sit down and still talk.

But therein lies one issue that fans need to appreciate. There are genuine concerns from all manner of fans including Ssemi and the way they approach those concerns may baffle many. From the conversation, it was strange how Ssemi who had refused to sit down and be part of the agreement is now simply saying he wants to sit down and agree.

Ssemi’s arguments on how he was elected on 22^nd January 2012 are baseless but it is an irritation that is ongoing with three cases now having been filed by himself and his cronies. He doesn’t seem to want an immediate election either but he disparages those who want an immediate election (which he wrongly calls – you don’t want an election); he criticizes those who think elections on 17^th June 2012 are viable but he goes ahead to say, ‘Elections on 17^th are impossible’; he also uses such choice words like ‘tukae kwa meza’, ‘playing cards’ – words which are really meaningless.

Ssemi criticizes those who don’t want the AGM to go ahead (by saying you aren’t telling mebers you don’t want elections) yet he also agrees that the AGM called by Magelo and Ngaira is illegal. On this score, Walela scores the final point and it ends 7-3.

You can see he is shifting positions and in the end he ends up painting the Doctor in bad light by posting this private conversation which he then twists with his comments when posting on the various Laopards fans Facebook Walls. This is not in the Nicole-Muturi standards, but it nonetheless gives us a glimpse of the mind sets of the two gentlemen and a lesson on how to wear your heart on your sleeve smartly.

Short Wave

Transcript from the Youtube clip posted here

S: Hallo

W: Hallo

S: Habari Daktari

W: Mzuri

S: Its Ssemi Aina hapa

W: Aaah Sema…namna gani…

S: Maina aliniambia jana mlikuwa na yeye… Lakini nasikia 

W: Eehh

S: Mlikosana sana kuhusu mambo ya SGM

W: Aaah. Hatukukusana vile. I only told him that we don’t need those blocks at the moment. Yeah, because, the process. You know.. Magelo has no control over it at the moment. What we are doing right now...

S:Hmm hmm

W: We are moving ahead without; we want… we have actually pushed Magelo to the wall

S: Yeah, hmm hmmm

W: And some of us are not friends of Magelo...

S: Yeah…

W: So, you see, if there is anything that comes in to block the process, I am wondering where we are to start again…

S: But Walela, Maina tells me mlikuwa mnamuambia ablock AGM

W: Yes, AGM, not SGM

S: Hmm hmmm

W: The issue was AGM because this one, Magelo wants to call an election … ile ya 17^th we don’t want kabisa…

S: Yes

W: Yeah, not the SGM

S: Hmm hmmm

W: AGM ndiyo Magelo anataka ku-manipulate hiyo, na we want an Electoral Board to be in place, where he will have no control…

S: Yes…

W: Register members and then… all members must pay 500. Hiyo list yake hiyo ya mia mbili hatutaki. 

S: Yes… 

W: Ati watu walikuwa wanalipa mia mbili. Hiyo tulisema we don’t want this. Because we want a new and fair Electoral Board…

S: But now who constitutes the Electoral Board?

W: According to the guidelines ni watu watano…

W: Hallo…

S: Yes…

W: According to the guidelines that we had done, Magelo was to bring one person, huyu mmoja pia Ochiel one person, Kituyi one person na Registrar of Societies and FKF and for me I was comfortable with it.

S: Hmm hmmm

W: Because he cant manipulate

S: Hmm hmmm

W: Yeah!

S: But sasa, If you are.. if the Registrar has been the one who has been the cause of all these problems, why invite a partisan group? Because you know at the Registrar, they are not non-partisan…

W: No… but you see... 

S: Hmm hmmm

W: This is a group of five individuals;

S: Hmm hmmm

W: They cant all collude eti waweke … waweke mtu mwenye ana … After all 

S: Hmm hmmm

W: I don’t think Kituyi has given up on being chairman, I don’t think Ochiel has given up on being Chairman. 

S: Hmm hmmm

W: Yeah, so I know, I doubt if they’ll collude 

S: Yes

W: Eti waweke Register waweke watu wao. That list … Am very sure hiyo list itakuwa a fair one… 

S: Hmm hmmm

W: Itakuwa the true list of members of AFC Leopards…

S: Haya, you have said it very well that you don’t think Ochiel ame-give up ama Kituyi …but here is a question.

W: Hmm

S: I have not heard anywhere that Ssemi has been mentioned

W: Yeah

W: Its just that you are not in it…and again

S: Hmm hmmm

W: Even me I am not mentioned and by the way, I might be having ambitions… ha ha ha… Am taking this thing to the end. I might throw in a very big surprise…. 

S: But you see sasa…

W: Eehh

S: You see, Wewe, Ochiel na Kituyi, nyinyi wote hamtaki election?

W: Yeah yeah

S: Na sasa ndiyo naona, its like now that you would have created a situation of the majority having their way, hata Magelo akiweka pale mtu, atakuwa na uzito gani?

W: Uummm… Magelo hatakuwa na uzito eti anaweka watu wake… hmmm

S: Yeah, that’s why nasema sasa, why can’t you have a neutral Electoral .. eeh Board? Because…

W: Yeah.. mimi as far as am concerned that is neutral… because ...

S: No we cannot , Daktari Bwana.. we can not have contestants, unaelewa .. haya….. now Kituyi

W: Yeah 

S: Is Kituyi a faction?

W: Yeah Kituyi is still interested

S: Yes he is interested but is he a faction? Why is he even being given the privilege of appointing?

W: That was what wasagreed on the roadmap.

S:You see now...

W: Walisema you were invited lakini haukuenda

S: Now I want to ask you, pale kwa Registrar, didn’t the agreement state that the elections were to be held in April?

W: They were to be held.. yeah

S: And then? Is that what you are going by?

W: Hmmmm … Yeah

S: Then it means nobody met his obligations

W: Sasa, wewe unataka watu waeke gani.. how do we arrive at the Electoral Board, for you?

S: Me what I was saying, eh…

W: Yes

S: Number 1 . Sijui kwa nini mnaogopa Magelo, hii ndiyo kitu sielewi. What you people need to do.. Let the members know we are going to have an Electoral Board from an independent Body

W: Like which one now?

S: There are several. We can get people from.. uhm.. we can get a few guys from different bodies… na tuwalipe

W: How do we arrive at whoever to supervise elections

S: That is why, you see, everybody needs to sit down we need to sit down all of us and agree on either one body or different people from different bodies, umeelewa...

W: Yeah

S: But you can not be an accused and then be given the privilege to pick a magistrate who will deal with your case, that will not happen, it is unrealistic...

W: Because me I want you to mention... how to get to the, to the whatever.. to whoever will supervise the elections... because like you see if you demand, what about those people who want to be Chairmen and have not announced, they may also come in and demand

S: Exactly and they will not have benefited from that... Already number 1, eh.. the decisions you are trying to make they are already hurting Ssemi

W: No I doubt

S: You get my point.. Because, if Ochiel can have the privilege of appointing someone, why not Ssemi

W: But these people are just there to see to it that only members are on the register who have paid and the money is remitted, its with the club

S: Yeah but it doesn't take an appointee of Ochiel or an appointee of Kituyi or Magelo to ensure that...

W: Hmm hmm .. because like last year...

S: Even the members can select from themselves

W: Uhm.. Members selecting its not.. it is actually impossible; it is impossible for members to select .. hiyo they can't get a formula on how to select...

S: Na sasa vile SGM imesimamishwa hivi.. you see, that day tulikaa Nyayo, and I told you guys loopholes zizibwe...

W: Yeah

S: If you ever want to move forward with anything...

W: Yeah

S: Unaona? Loopholes zizibwe.. because the moment you people mnataka SGM iendelee, Magelo hataki hiyo SGM, haya nyinyi hamtaki AGM, Magelo anataka AGM

W:Yes?

S: You see that creates countless loopholes …

W:Yeah?

S: You see.. why cant all these things be dealt with?

W: Now from where?

S: Its just a matter of people sitting down and you know, kuja, come out in the open, say we don’t want an AGM at this point, let .. wacha yeye pia aseme hatutaki SGM because of this and this, wacha Ssemi aseme yeye pia he is not comfortable with this and this kwa sababu ya hii na hii, you get my point?

W: Yeah 

S: And then, kila kitu, every issue ikuwe addressed

W: Yeah

S: Hapo kwa meza. The problem is, we are telling members, 'oh.. tunataka tupitishe katiba, halafu tuende kwa elections' halafu hatuwaambii siri ile iko chini ya meza, the dangerous card is that we dont want an election..

W: No, not June

S: Yes

W: Because in June, we cannot have a whatever .. a Register itengenezwe in just two weeks...

S: Yes... but have you communicated, have you communicated that to the members?

W: Yeah.. people know.. people know that we cant. That we dont want. Its Magelo who is trying to force it.. hiyo AGM, that we have elections

S: You know Daktari nilikuwa na watu jana. Even Lutta alikuwa amesimama hapo na Sadik na Lutta alikuwa amesimama hapo na huyu kijana anaitwa Caxton Agala, the ones we were with hapo Nyayo, tulikuwa nao hapo High Court...

W: Yes?

S: And I asked Lutta one question Lutta hebu tell the truth... is there going to be an election in June 17^th ?

W: Yeah?

S: He said Yes

W: Uhh?

S: Na mimi ndiyo nikamuambia, 'Can you stop lying to the members Lutta. An election to be held on June 17^th is impossible'.

W: Yes?

S: Number One… Lutta goes ahead to say that an election that has been called by the Chairman and Treasurer is valid

W: No, its not valid

S: Nikamwambia tell people the truth because the moment members know that kuna cards zinachezwa chini ya meza…ndiyo inaleta hii confusion ambayo AFC Leopards imekuwa nayo since last year

W: But Lutta is not also with them 

S: I know he is not with them, that is why he did not comeout strongly. Angesema ukweli.. But you see Lutta stands there and says yeye anarepresent interests za Magelo, which is not true

W: Yes, its not true

S: Yeah, in fact hapo ndiyo mimi, I told him off.. nilimuambia, 'Listen Lutta, I know you are no longer with the Magelo faction,speak the truth, so that, let the members know, kama ni katiba tutapitisha June.. elections tutaenda December, thats it...

W: Yeah

S: Not that tunawadanganya tupitishe tukijua eti sisi wenyewe hatutaki election ikuwe hii mwezi…

W: Hmm, OK.. I think lets, we can arrange... lets meet all of us.. 

S: Yeah 

W: We can arrange.. are you free today?

S: I am free..I am available...

W: OK, uhhmmm.. there is function hapa ya AFC at Kawangware which am attending nafikiria inaisha tu in the next one hour or so.. then I can call you.. uuh

S: Hmm hmmm..

W: Yeah

S: Sawa sawa

W: Ikiisha.. 

S: Ikiisha utanipigia..

W: OK

S: Yeah

W: OK sawa…

Its The Silly Season

It is the silly season at the club once again as no one seems to know what needs to be done. This is the story so far:-

Ssemi Aina had gone to court and obtained court orders that seemed to confer the Chairmanship upon him (that was disputed, but the first court order at least stopped the incumbent Chairman Alex Ole Magelo from discharging his duties).

The case was dismissed on a technicality and never got tobe heard on its merits or demerits.

A Daily Nation journalist lashed at Magelo for gloating at the escape rather that focus on sorting out the Leopards mess. It seemed to be a case of someone drowning and the journalist describing the water.

With the case out of the way, a section of the club then wanted to progress with the roadmap that had been disrupted by the orders previously obtained by Aina. The roadmap entailed holding a Special General Meeting, passing the constitution, appointing an Elections Board and then registering members of the club afresh before holding an Annual General Meeting.

The club CEO Richard Ekhalie on the other hand favoured a direct AGM where elections were held on 17th June 2012under the old constitution and a new constitution passed at the same meeting to take effect after the AGM. The officials elected would serve for one year before they seek fresh mandate under the new constitution.

This caused an uproar to a section of the fanbase who insisted on an SGM.

One faction, the Julius Ochiel faction, even claimed to have held an SGM on 6th May 2012 when the court orders of Aina were in force. It isn't clear if they filed any returns from this SGM.

However, another notice was published by Josephat Bukachi, the Secretary General, who is in office by virtue of a court case filed by supporters of the Ochiel faction, and who has been some sort of parallel Secretary General as Duncan Angode has also been 'acting' as Secretary General. This case by the Ochiel supporters has not been dispensed with.

That aside, Bukachi called an SGM for 3rd June 2012.

Alex ole Magelo on the other hand called an AGM on 17th June 2012 as was previously planned in the amended roadmap.

Persons reported to be supporters of Aina went to court and obtained a court order against the SGM. The case will be heard inter partes on 11th June 2012.

Meanwhile, Aina went back to court and filed a Judicial Review case directed at the Registrar of Societies and the Attorney General seeking orders of certiotari and prohibition. He wants to be certified as the Chairman and also he wants the Registrar prohibited from registering anyone else as Chairman until the end of the season. The case will be mentioned on 18th June 2012.

Meanwhile, away from all these, the dirty tricks of recording persons telephone conversations is ongoing. Aina posted on Youtube this clip. A transcript of the same will be posted elsewhere on this blog.

It really is the silly season at the club ...