Counties
Ex-Harambee Stars player wins dispute over company
Tuesday April 19 2022
Summary
- A court has quashed the decision of the Registrar of Companies to block former Harambee Stars and international player Taiwo Atieno from registering a business entity known as ‘Migori United Football Club Limited.’
- While ruling on the dispute, Justice Roselyne Wendoh said the Registrar had violated Taiwo’s right to administrative action that is fair, lawful, reasonable and expeditious.
A court has quashed the decision of the Registrar of Companies to block former Harambee Stars and international player Taiwo Atieno from registering a business entity known as ‘Migori United Football Club Limited.’
Taiwo, whose full name is Opiyo Taiwo Leo Atieno Awuonda, moved to court last year after the Registrar rejected his request because of the use of the word ‘Club’ in the proposed company’s name.
He sought court’s intervention complaining that the actions were discriminatory.
While ruling on the dispute, Justice Roselyne Wendoh said the Registrar had violated Taiwo’s right to administrative action that is fair, lawful, reasonable and expeditious.
“The unilateral decision of rejecting registration of the petitioner’s proposed company without giving him audience and an opportunity to be heard, was an infringement of his right to fair administrative action,” said Justice Wendoh.
She directed the Registrar to register the proposed company under the name of ‘Migori United Football Club Limited’, which was reserved on February 17, 2021 subject to Mr Awuonda obtaining a letter of no objection from the Registrar of Sports within 45 days.
Taiwo had sought incorporation of the company so as to enable him pursue sports activities and venture into other income-generating activities for the benefit of sports development and investments in Kenya.
He described himself as a holder of Kenyan and British dual citizenship, an international professional footballer now turned commercial director with his own investment companies in the UK, US and Kenya.
He also stated that he has an interest in sports development in Kenya and the East Africa region.
His case in court was that he conceived the idea of incorporating a company which would carry out professional football and youth development in Kenya, stadia infrastructure and management as well as hotel accommodation.
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