Gohil, Omamo win Cricket Kenya top seat as united bloc sweeps polls after legal storm

Gohil secured 38 votes, while Tikolo managed 18 in a closely watched contest that headlined a decisive day for the federation. Lawyer Perlyne Omamo, a former women’s team captain, was elected unopposed as vice chair after her rival, Kalpesh Solanki, was barred from the race following his suspension over financial irregularities.

The elections produced a clean sweep for a single alliance, with all winning candidates understood to be aligned, raising expectations of a more cohesive leadership at the troubled federation. Alfred Njuguna Njoroge won the treasurer position with 40 votes, beating Chidambaran Subramanian, who garnered 17.

Damian Omonywa clinched the Director of County Associations seat with 37 votes against Vidya Chandrasekhar’s 17. In the Director of Women’s Cricket race, Charity Wambui edged Sarah Kemunto Mayaka, securing 31 votes to 24. Stakeholders say the apparent unity within the winning team could signal a fresh start for CK, which has endured months of governance wrangles and mounting pressure from the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The polls were held against the backdrop of intense legal battles that nearly derailed the process. At least five cases were filed in different courts in a last-ditch attempt to stop the elections. CK officials fought through the legal storm, securing a crucial reprieve late Friday evening—around 7:45 PM—when a court lifted earlier orders that had temporarily halted the polls.

The ICC had been firm that the April 19 elections must proceed, warning Kenya over non-compliance with membership requirements and persistent governance disputes. Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya also backed the position, framing the elections as critical to restoring order.

The stakes were stark. Failure to hold credible elections risked suspension, a move that would have further isolated Kenya from international cricket.

Sunday’s outcome now presents CK with a reset moment—one that stakeholders hope will stabilise the federation and rebuild confidence both locally and internationally.

Last week, CK chief executive officer Ronald Bukusi pinned the revival of the sports on a successful election. Bukusi said the federation has been working “extremely” hard to meet compliance benchmarks set by the ICC, implementing a roadmap agreed upon after last year’s intervention.

"All the steps they asked us to do, we created a roadmap… and we have kept them informed of everything we are doing. This (the election) is now the last step,” he said.

Any failure to conduct credible elections, he warned, could trigger serious consequences. “If the elections fail to happen, it would be terrible. We have to have these elections. We have to,” Bukusi said.

At its core, Bukusi said, the election is about rebuilding trust. “We really need strong leadership. We need people of integrity… people who can help us grow,” he said. “We need people of good moral values. It’s important.”