The position has been vacant for over a year now, with Barry Rukoro still acting, after the former administrative head, Alpheus Gaweseb, was ousted.

The NFA initially promised that the position would be filled after the African Nations Cup in February this year, but this did not happen.

Muinjo said there were a lot of factors that made the appointment impossible at the time.

"There were a lot of external factors, but I can tell you for sure that within the next month and a half, the NFA will have a new CEO," he said yesterday.

He did not say what the external factors were, but added that the association, which largely depends on Government funding, would pay his salary.

"I know that we created an expectation to the nation that this important position be filled by a certain time.

We have not forgotten about it and it will not be taken away.

It will still happen," he said.

Muinjo said a panel to interview the candidates would be set up and the process would continue accordingly.

Rukoro and at least other nine candidates have applied for the position, which Muinjo said should be filled before the end of July.

All the applications are currently in the possession of Muinjo and could not be submitted to Soccer House because Rukoro is also vying for the position.

The applications closed on June 14 2006 and since then no progress has been made on the matter.

Rukoro has been in an acting capacity since February 2007 and it is now more than a year, making him eligible to be appointed in a permanent position according to the Labour Act.

According to the law, a person ought to act for only six months before a permanent appointment is made, but it also makes provision for an employee to be in an acting capacity for a year if there is no other suitable candidate.

The NFA constitution does not stipulate what happens in case a person has been acting for more than six months.

Rukoro had been with the NFA for about 12 years in different capacities before he started acting as CEO.

The new CEO, according to the NFA requirements, must have professional qualifications and at least ten years' working experience, of which five years must have been at senior management level.

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