Immaculate Kabutha has been re-elected unopposed as President of Netball Kenya after all candidates were elected without opposition during the federation’s elections held on Saturday at Greenpark Terminus in Nairobi.
The election, which was overseen by the Independent Electoral Board, did not require voting because all candidates who submitted their nomination papers met the eligibility requirements and had no challengers.
Speaking after being declared the winner, Kabutha said the unanimous support reflected the confidence members have in the current leadership and pledged to continue strengthening netball in Kenya.
“This is a great day for us. All eight candidates were elected unopposed, which is very encouraging because it demonstrates the trust our members have placed in us. No one doubted our ability to lead,” she said.
Kabutha stated that the new administration’s priority will be to improve the competitiveness of the sport while expanding talent identification and development programmes to strengthen the national team.
“We have a lot of work ahead. We want to elevate the standard of netball in Kenya and build a wider pool of talented players so that we can field a stronger and more competitive national team,” she said.
She noted that Kenya is currently ranked 21st in the world in netball, describing the achievement as encouraging. She added that preparations are already underway for next year’s African Netball Championship, which will serve as part of the qualification process for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia.
“We have already completed the team selection process and preparations are ongoing to ensure the players continue with training,” Kabutha revealed.
Kabutha also thanked the Kenyan government for its continued support of the sport, specifically acknowledging Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya and Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi for their cooperation.
“We appreciate the Government of Kenya and the Ministry of Sports for their tremendous support, which has enabled us to achieve the progress we have made,” she said.
Independent Electoral Board member Eugene Sudi said the election was conducted in accordance with the Constitution of Kenya, the Sports Act, and the constitution and regulations of Netball Kenya.
“All candidates submitted their nomination documents for verification and were found to have met the eligibility requirements. Since they had no opponents, there was no need for voting. Our role was simply to officially confirm them as duly elected,” Sudi said.
He added that the entire process was conducted smoothly and that the elected officials fully complied with the legal requirements governing sports federation leadership.
Rose Wasike, officials from the Ministry of Sports, and James Akama attended the elections. Officials from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission also supervised the exercise.
Addressing the newly elected officials, Wasike reminded them that their positions are a public trust and not personal property.
“You have been elected to serve. This is not your personal organization. Be accountable to the members you represent,” she said.
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