Gor Mahia’s impressive run on the pitch has been overshadowed by a major legal setback after the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) ruled that the appointment of former ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo as the club’s patron was unconstitutional.
The decision, delivered as the Kenyan champions prepare for the CECAFA Kagame Cup final and the start of the new domestic season, shifts attention from football to the governance of one of the country’s most successful clubs.
The Tribunal found that Gor Mahia’s Executive Committee did not have the legal authority under the club’s 2019 constitution to appoint a substantive patron. It held that the responsibility rests solely with a properly constituted Board of Trustees, which the club has yet to establish.
As a result, the Tribunal declared Owalo’s appointment null and void.
The ruling goes beyond the patron’s position. It directed the club to convene an Annual General Meeting within 60 days to establish the long-awaited Board of Trustees. Only after the board is in place can a patron be lawfully appointed, the Tribunal said.
In its judgment, the Tribunal also criticised Gor Mahia for failing to operationalise the Board of Trustees since adopting its current constitution in 2019. It rejected arguments that the Executive Committee could fill the gap because the board had not been formed, insisting that the club’s constitution must be followed as written.
The latest decision adds to a growing list of governance challenges facing the record FKF Premier League champions.
In a separate dispute, the Registrar of Sports has directed Gor Mahia to hold fresh elections, arguing that chairman Ambrose Rachier’s statutory term expired on June 8, 2026.
Rachier has challenged that directive in the High Court, maintaining that his current tenure arises from a subsequent electoral cycle. Interim court orders have temporarily halted enforcement of the Registrar’s decision while the case is heard.
The overlapping legal battles leave Gor Mahia confronting crucial administrative deadlines at a time when preparations for the 2026/27 season and CAF inter-club competitions are gathering pace.
If the Tribunal’s orders are implemented, the club will, for the first time under its 2019 constitution, establish a Board of Trustees before making any fresh decision on the office of patron.
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