Nairobi: The Kenya Cricket Association (KCA) have appointed Australian Cricket Board chairman Bob Merriman as a member of a six-man independent committee to review their constitution.

The committee is expected to start deliberations next week, but KCA General Manager Sammy Obingo said Merriman, who will also be representing the International Cricket Council (ICC), will give his input over two days in October.

The constitution has long been a bone of contention between the KCA and their affiliated branches, who have argued that it gives a lot of powers to the sports governing body. Personality interests over the control of the game have resulted in disputes and court interventions which have prevented national elections from being held twice in the last three years.

"Times have changed. We need to get recommendations from the members of the public to help us move forward," Obingo said. Obingo was himself appointed to the position on the directive of ICC president

Ehsan Mani, who on his visit to Kenya early this year, said the KCA should appoint a general manager to run their administration on a permanent basis. The new constitution is expected to be ready in December and the KCA hope it would lead to fresh elections to bring an end to disputes.