Gor Mahia FC Chairman Ambrose Rachier is at the centre of leadership uncertainty after the Sports Registrar directed the club to arrange for elections immediately.
In an official letter released on June 10, 2026, the Registrar of Sports, Rose Wasike, ordered the club to issue a four-week election notice for the position of chairperson and all other elected officials whose terms had expired on 8 June 2026.
Gor Mahia has also been given a two-week deadline, ending on June 24, 2026, to submit the election notice to both the registrar and its members.
End of Ambrose Rachier’s Eight-Year Tenure
Wasike’s directive puts Ambrose Rachier’s leadership under pressure, marking the end of his legally allowed eight-year term at Gor Mahia.
Ambrose Rachier first became Gor Mahia’s chairman in 2008 and has led the club for nearly two decades, making him one of the longest-serving football administrators in Kenya.
Rachier has won multiple elections since 2008, but the Sports Act, 2013 (the sports law in Kenya) limits management officials to a maximum of two four-year terms, totaling eight years in office.
According to Wasike, the law required the club to conduct elections within 90 days.
However, the first election under the new legal system was only held in August 2020, a delay that has now become central to the dispute.
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Amid those delays, the Rose Wasike said that the legal time started from the date of registration in 2018, meaning Rachier’s allowable leadership time officially expired on June 8, 2026, regardless of when elections were eventually held.
Delayed Gor Mahia Elections Raise Questions
Wasike indicated that Gor Mahia failed to comply with Regulation 6 of the Sports Registrar Regulation, which requires newly registered clubs to hold elections within 90 days of registration, and the Registrar suggested that the delay may have been used to circumvent term limits.
“This in itself is a sign of negligence, poor leadership and bad governance by officials that should not be condoned in any sports organization’s leadership,” Rose Wasike said.
Ambrose Rachier was later re-elected in April 2025, but Wasike noted that he had already served a full four-year term and was therefore completing his final allowable term under the law.
Gor Mahia’s Failure to Issue Election Notice
Rose Wasike also criticized Gor Mahia for failing to plan for a leadership transition before the term ended.
“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,” the Rose stated.
This failure triggered intervention from the registrar’s office, which is now enforcing compliance under the Sports Act and the Sports Registrar Regulations.
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What the Law Says About Term Limits
Under The Sports Act, 2013 and the Sports Registrar Regulations, 2016, the law allows management officials to serve a maximum of two terms, with each term lasting for 4 years, meaning no one can stay in office for more than 8 years.
In addition, the regulations require sports organizations to hold elections within 90 days of registration and to follow proper governance structures.
Rachier Ambrose is not eligible to seek another term, having already reached the maximum eight-year limit, which ended on 8 June, according to Registrar Wasike.
What Waseka Told Gor Mahia to Do
The Registrar has since ordered Gor Mahia FC to issue a four-week election notice immediately; the notice must include the chairperson’s position and all other elected roles, and the club must submit the notice within two weeks, by 24 June 2026.
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