Kwale Football Kenya Federation Chairman Khamis Mwakoja has expressed his ambitions to vie for either the FKF presidency or a National Executive Committee (NEC) position in the upcoming elections.
Mwakoja, who is serving as FKF boss in Kwale County for the second term, said that it’s time for the Coast region to be recognized and that he plans to be at the top table of discussions.
Speaking at the Kenya Navy Football Club end-of-season gala dinner at Sapphire Hotel in Mombasa, Mwakoja challenged Coast regional teams in top leagues like Division One, the National Super League, and the Kenya Premier League to perform better so the region can gain more representation.
“In the previous election, we had only nine delegates. If we want to become a powerhouse in the Coast, we must have more delegates,” he said.
According to him, delegates come from sixteen teams in the KPL, ten from the NSL, and five from Division One, picked from the top five on the table.
Recently, Coast region teams have struggled, with Bandari being the only team in the KPL, while the three coastal teams in the NSL are ranked below the top ten.
Kwale-based club Bumbani Stars and Kenya Navy are the only two coastal teams in the top five of Division One.
Elsewhere, Mwakoja advised teams to start engaging the youth, citing the tough structure under the current FKF regime for players hoping to wear the national team shirt.
“If you have not received a call-up for U-17 or U-20, forget about wearing the Harambee Stars shirt. There is no chance,” Mwakoja stated.
He emphasized that these two youth levels are now the bridge for any player to qualify for a national team call-up, and urged stakeholders to give young players the opportunity.