By Anderson Ojwang
The illustrious and transformative era of Ambrose Rachier as the chairman of Gor Mahia is finally coming to an end.
An era of trophies, successes and sound financial base. The resurgence of the mighty Gor Mahia K’Ogalo.
Rachier is credited with hauling the club from the abyss to a trophy-laden era. He has served his constitutional two-term limit of eight years in office.
Rachier’s tenure came at a time when Gor Mahia was wobbling and not challenging for trophies, with a diminishing fan base, low and weak revenue, and constant power struggles.
Rachier stabilised the ship and witnessed a radical change in the outfit. The club was recently crowned Premier League champions, making it 22 silverware.
Gor Mahia’s revenue from gate collection was at Sh128 million, with improved TV rights revenue and sponsorship deals.
The Hammer
The letter, captioned “RE: TENURE OF OFFICE FOR THE CHAIRPERSON AND ANY OTHER OFFICIAL (REMINDER TO HOLD ELECTIONS)” , read in parts:
“Reference is made to the above subject matter and my previous correspondences on the same, with more emphasis on my letters dated 17th July, 2024 to the Club and 23rd March, 2026 to GOWAN Advocates (copies attached).”
The Registrar of Sports, Rose Wasike, in a letter to the Secretary General of Gor Mahia from the State Department for Sports dated 10th June 2026, noted the end of Rachier’s and some other officials’ tenure.
The Registrar has directed the Secretary General to issue a notice of election for the position of Chairman and any other post.
“The office was expecting the election notice from the Secretary of the Club to its members and the Sports Registrar before 8th June 2026, but it seems the Club ignored the provisions of the law and failed to issue the relevant notices for the purpose of replacing the Chair and any other elected officials whose 8-year term has lapsed.”
She said in view of the foregoing, and in exercise of the regulatory powers conferred upon the Registrar under Section 45 of the Sports Act, her office directs the Secretary of Gor Mahia Football Club to issue a four (4) weeks’ election notice to the Sports Registrar and the Club’s members as per the provisions of the Club’s Constitution for the position of Chairperson and any other elected official whose term expired on 8th June, 2026.
“Kindly ensure compliance and submit the election notice to this office within two weeks from the date of this letter to avoid continued contravention of the law and ensure smooth transition,” she wrote.
She said the Sports Disputes Tribunal allowed the Chairman to vie on 13th April, 2024 due to non-completion of the 8-year term provision, which lapsed recently on 8th June, 2026.
Playing tricks
Wasike said her office had observed that, as at the election held on 13th April, 2025, certain office bearers who were re-elected had nearly attained the maximum period permissible under the law.
“In particular, the Chairperson had already served a full four-year term and was therefore serving a final term as permitted under the Sports Act and regulations. The Certificate of Registration was issued on 8th June, 2018. Consequently, and taking into account the maximum tenure of eight (8) years prescribed by law, the Chairperson’s allowable tenure expired at midnight on 8th June, 2026.”
Wasike said the constitution only allows a maximum tenure of two terms for office holders and that Rachier’s term expired on 8th June, 2026.
Tenure of office
She said Paragraph C of the Second Schedule to the Sports Act, as read together with Regulation 20(6) of the Sports Registrar Regulations, 2016, provides that the newly elected office bearers shall hold office for a period of four years and may be elected for one further term.
She observed: “However, Regulation 6 of the Sports Registrar Regulations clearly provides that a newly registered sports organisation should hold elections within 90 days from the date of its registration; a provision that the outgoing Chairman and his counterparts failed to implement and ended up holding the first election of the club on 8th August, 2020; an act I believe was a delaying tactic to evade the eight-year term for elected officials.”
The letter read: “This in itself is a sign of negligence, poor leadership and bad governance by officials that should not be condoned in any sports organisation’s leadership.”
She said records held by her office indicate that Gor Mahia Football Club was issued with a Certificate of Registration on 8th June, 2018, subject to, among other conditions, the requirement to conduct elections within ninety (90) days – days which lapsed on 8th September, 2018, when the club was expected to hold its first election.
“It should be noted that despite the delay in holding elections, the officials continued to carry out activities of the Club; hence completion of the Chairman’s 8-year term,” she wrote.
