Embattled Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier has moved to the High Court seeking conservatory orders to suspend the implementation of a directive issued by the Sports Registrar requiring the club to conduct elections for the position of chairperson.

In a petition filed at the High Court in Nairobi on June 15, 2026, Rachier challenges the Sports Registrar’s decision contained in a letter dated June 10, 2026, which declared that his tenure had ended and directed Gor Mahia to commence the process of electing a new chairperson.

Rachier argues that he was duly elected as Gor Mahia chairperson during elections held on April 13, 2025, and that the Sports Registrar subsequently recognized and registered him alongside other elected officials to serve a four-year term under the Sports Registrar Regulations. He contends that the Registrar’s latest directive contradicts that earlier recognition and registration.

The veteran football administrator is seeking urgent conservatory orders to halt the implementation, enforcement and operation of the Registrar’s decision pending the hearing and determination of both the application and the substantive petition.

According to court documents, Rachier maintains that the Sports Registrar acted outside her statutory powers and failed to follow the procedures set out under the Sports Registrar Regulations before making the decision. He argues that no complaint was lodged against him, no inquiry or investigation was conducted, and he was not accorded a hearing before the directive was issued.

The petition further claims that the Registrar attempted to achieve through an administrative letter what can only be done through the procedures prescribed in law for the removal of elected officials from sports organizations.

Rachier also argues that the decision violates his constitutional rights and raises important legal questions regarding the powers of the Sports Registrar and the interpretation of sports governance regulations in Kenya.

Advocate Ambrose Rachier warns that implementing the directive before the case is heard could create uncertainty within the club’s leadership structures and disrupt preparations for the upcoming season. The petition notes that Gor Mahia, the reigning Sportpesa League champions, are preparing for participation in the CAF Champions League and require stability in governance and administration.

Rachier therefore wants the court to preserve the status quo as of June 10, 2026, allowing the current club officials to continue discharging their duties until the matter is fully determined.

The case is expected to test the extent of the Sports Registrar’s powers in relation to elected officials of sports organizations and could have significant implications for sports governance in Kenya.