Gor Mahia launch membership drive as SDT overturns FKF ruling
Gor Mahia official Ronald Ngala has sent out an SOS to fans urging them to register in large numbers to prevent the club from financial collapse.
Additional reporting from the Nation
Gor Mahia on Tuesday issued a notification of registration of new members and called on the club faithful to participate in the exercise so as to help the team stay a float.
Club deputy secretary general Ronald Ngala also asked existing K’Ogalo members to renew their membership to continue aiding the financially-crippled reigning Kenyan Premier League champions.
“Notice is hereby given of registration of new members and renewal of existing members of the club with immediate effect. The registration of fee and renewal fee of Sh1, 200, that is payable in full at once through MPESA pay bill number 350100,” the club said in a statement.
“When making payment, please use your name as the account number to enable the club to identify you when compiling the register of members.”
“We urge our fans to register in numbers by following the outlined procedures. By registering they will provide the club with an immense income which can assist in paying players during these tough times,” Ngala said.
“Members can also bring ideas and other initiatives which can help the club grow and attract sponsors. Sponsorship doesn’t only come when the club has no money but also even during periods when we are financially stable.”
He added that the club has no money.
“No member has renewed his/her registration so far and we urge them to do so. We don’t want to quote a given target because people may think we have some bad motive on how the money shall be used,” added Ngala.
Since the exit of K’Ogalo’s shirt sponsors SportPesa last August, Gor have failed to pay players their salaries and bonuses running into several months.
Gor now join rivals AFC Leopards who recently published a list of new members and those who have renewed their membership totalling 1,700.
SDT Overrules FKF
The football scene was Tuesday evening plunged into more confusion after the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) temporarily suspended Football Kenya Federation’s (FKF) decision to cancel the 2019/2020 Kenyan Premier League season.
Additional reporting from the Nation
SDT chairman John Ohaga made the ruling following an application filed by both the Kenyan Premier League body and Chemelil Sugar, and certified as urgent.
The ports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) is once again disregarding FIFA rules as they have declared FKF’s decision to crown Gor Mahia the league winners null and void.
Additional reporting from the Nation
Ohaga has also invited all the 18 clubs competing in the top-flight football league this season to have their say on the matter before directing that the respondents in the matter, namely FKF, its president Nick Mwendwa, and general secretary Barry Otieno, be served via digital platforms, including mobile messaging app WhatsApp.
The case is set to be heard on May 26.
“My main concern is that things were not done as per the law and that is why we decided to seek legal interpretation,” said KPL’s chief executive Jack Oguda.
The court case comes ten days after Mwendwa announced, via Twitter, that the top-flight league season had been cancelled.
He cited the coronavirus pandemic which had occasioned the temporary suspension of the competition as the reason.
Further Mwendwa declared Gor Mahia league champions and announced he had forwarded the club’s name to the Confederation of African Football (Caf) as the country’s representatives ahead of next season’s Caf Champions League.
But Oguda, whose body is mandated by FKF to run the top-flight league, has consistently claimed Mwendwa jumped the gun and did not consult before arriving at the decision.
Gor, Kakamega Homeboyz and Tusker occupied the top three positions in the league by the time it was halted with an average nine rounds of matches to be contested.
In the wrong end of the table, Sony Sugar, Chemelil and Kisumu All Stars occupied the relegation spots.
This is the fourth case involving FKF that has been filed at the SDT in the past five months. The other two cases led to the cancelation of FKF’s county and national elections and Mwendwa is currently still fighting another legal battle which will determine whether he remains in office or his term of office has expired.
Too many fundraising initiatives / paybill numbers yet the club has not paid players since October last year.
Surprising that club offficials are members of all these initiatives i.e they belong to branches, Augmentin, PB 350100.
Is it a case of divide and rule and that these initiatives are actually under the control of club officials hence the persistent financial woes?
Some of these initiatives claim to have upto 500-1,000 members making monthly contributions yet the club players remain unpaid for 7 months.
Where does the money go?
Retained registration fees or the latest scam “Gor Youth team” that is even larger than the main team.
It’s time that these “initiatives” are collapsed into one transparent entity only and solely benefiting the main playing unit and TB.
Otherwise it seems everyone is starting an initiative exploiting the Gor Mahia brand for personal gain as players suffer.
GMAF & GMFC are two different legal entities working for the sale purposes. No problem.
@charles kindly note that registration to be A memeber is not done through branches but with the management whose official in this case is Ronald Ngala. However if there is any program organised by any branch to support team must not be considered a registration to a Gor memeber. please take note and action on being a member for the betterment of the team.
@Ronald Ngala kindly we need to do this as well by depositing the money in clubs Bank a/c.
But Augmentin say that they will convert their members contributions into GMFC shares/ ownership.
In addition they promise their members discounted merchandise and match tickets.
How are these possible when it is clear, from the above notice, that the only way to be an official voting member of GMFC is by paying 1,200 (affordable) to 350100 rather than the expensive Augmentin membership of upto 33,300 (Ushirika) per year.
Can they secure more benefits the registered club members?
Is Augmentin taking its members for a ride or wooing the public with fake / unattainable benefits?
That would be very sad because it brings to question the integrity of Augmentin.
Why are Chemelil Sugar petitioning against Kogalo. It will not change their relegation fate.
Yes .The game plan is to cancel the league and hence the status quo remains. Welcome back Sony as well.
Dear Ngala nobody has renewed their membership of Gor Mahia because they have paid their money to other Gor Mahia initiatives.
Mr. Oguda how come KPL has money to fight legal battles but has no pay:
1) Last season’s prize money,
2) to sponsor this year league that they insist must be completed. KPL can’t even pay match officials.
Where is the money to complete the remaining matches?
Was wondering the same. They have money bro waste paying lawyers but cannot pay what they owe the club
Sport Tribunal must seek a financial guarantee from KPL, Shimanyula etc that they have the capacity to complete the league matches.
This should include evidence that KPL has money to pay last year’s and this year’s prize money.
This is a professional league and it would be strange for SDT to issue an empty paper order for the league to resume when KPL has no money to run it. An order that will sink teams into further debts.
And Shikanda once a Gor Mahia great confirms what all of us know. Just like our former Capt ,his heart has always been at the den and he would never want Gor to win the title. He would rather have the league anulled and started afresh. So we know now.
@ Jakorando , Jagem Oremo & Co.
Since it is easier to demand transparency and accountability from one’s branch/ fund officials rather than the Gor Mahia office, isn’t it more logical for the branches to collect the membership fees from their branch/fund members then pay it as a lump-sum to the club’s account / or meet a specific expense.
The branch/fund can provide the office with a list of the contributing members for updating the elections register.
The branches/funds can even demand that the money be put to a specific use e.g start a players/TB salaries/allowances fund, repair the bus, buy bottled water for training match day etc.
Benefits of this include:
1) It is more useful for the club to receive lump-sum payments and settle a specific need rather than small amounts that trickle in from individual payments,
2) it will counter the divide and rule tactic which R. Ngala is using above to attract funds for the one/ same Gor Mahia fraternity. I.e render branches/funds irrelevant.
3) Funds / branches will maintain and uphold their own accountability and transparency standards some of which are quite high e.g publishing of monthly income & expense statements complete with bank statements for members to confirm or verify.
4) It is more effective and efficient for branches /funds to encourage their members to contribute rather than a general notice.
5) The office will be compelled to recognize these branches/funds as a critical source of fund raising for the club.
Ngala must understand the money be it membership or donations at the end of the day comes from the same individual who is a member of a branch or fund.