MERU, November 2026 – For years, the Kenyan football scene has faced a cocktail of hope and uncertainty in equal measure as off-field drama takes centre stage, overshadowing the urgent need to address the pressing on-field player issues.
Like an unputdownable action-thriller novel, the leadership wrangles continue to sap the remaining energy among players, fans and stakeholders alike, leaving them clutching at rootless straws that can be easily swayed by any force.
With every successive leadership, one of the pertinent questions that has always lingered on their lips is: “What is the future of the beautiful game (Jogo Bonito) in the country?!”
Team Fresh
On December 7, 2024, after mounting a spirited and successful campaign under the banner of Team Fresh Start, Football Kenya Federation (FKF) delegates gave Hussein Mohammed (President) and McDonald Mariga Wanyama (Vice President) the mantle to steer kandanda to greater heights of prosperity.
After a calamitous period (punctuated with court battles), they ended Nick Mwendwa’s long tenure as FKF boss, with Hussein garnering 67 votes in the second round to triumph over his worthy opponents.
In the two, many ardent football lovers saw the ‘near-perfect blend’ of an astute entrepreneur, Hussein, and Mariga, a former Harambee Stars captain and UEFA Champions League-winning Inter Milan midfielder, as the ideal Baba Dawas (Mr Fix It) for the ‘ever-ailing’ sport.
Armed with these colourful attributes, they restored confidence and earned local, regional and international recognition among other federations and other stakeholders.
What with sponsors coming in droves to fill in existential gaps to resuscitate the men’s and women’s teams – from the national team to the SportPesa Premier League (SPL), National Super League (NSL) Clubs, and grassroots young talent scouting and tapping?
Despite strained relations within the FKF leadership, the country successfully co-hosted the delayed CHAN 2024 in August 2025 alongside Uganda and Tanzania, with Kenya hosting the final at Moi International Stadium, Kasarani.
Harambee Stars, on their CHAN debut, topped Group A unbeaten before falling to Madagascar on penalties in the quarter-finals. Kenya is now preparing to co-host the Pamoja AFCON 2027 with Uganda and Tanzania – the first AFCON in East Africa since Ethiopia in 1976.
In less than a year, the country has been treated to a ‘Game of Thrones’ football circus: Out went Harold Ndege and Mariga. Let’s put Ndege’s issue on hold and come back to it later.
Fast forward to FKF’s Special General Meeting (SGM) held in Meru on Saturday, 7th November 2026.
After months of factional bickering and counter-accusations, 65 delegates against one voted to officially expel its Vice President, McDonald Mariga. Like a double-edged sword, their flashed red card also declared him persona non grata to hold the National Executive Committee (NEC) membership position.
But it wasn’t a peaceful walk in the park.
Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU) officers hurled tear gas canisters into the room where the delegates were seated after hundreds of youths reportedly invaded the venue and some staged a sit-in in the hotel rooms. Brawls, jeers, tears and cheers marred the event as many scampered for safety.
After some relative calm, six NEC members allied to the embattled Mariga were also axed, setting the stage for a mouthwatering and titanic clash to fill the vacant positions.
They include Dan Shikanda (Nairobi East), Robert Macharia (Central), Gabriel Mghendi (Coast), Bernard Lagat (Lower Rift Valley), Collins Opiyo Kalee (Nyanza), and Violet Kerubo Momanyi (Woman Representative).
The verdict is explicit: Mariga and co. have now been stripped of all the powers in FKF – they are no longer part of the decision-making board, can’t vote, and are not allowed to attend NEC meetings or be regional representatives.
In addition, the SGM resolved that the officials will remain subject to further sanctions by the judicial bodies of FKF, CAF and FIFA.
In his capacity as the FKF President, Hussein Mohammed presided over the meeting with representatives drawn from international observers including FIFA’s Senior MA Governance Service Manager, Bruno Comicholi, David Ndayisenga, Lead, FIFA Regional Office, Kigali, Nnaemeka Olu, Legal Manager, CAF and Acting Sports Registrar Chacha Maroa accompanied by officials from the State Department for Sports attending as observers.
According to FKF, the SGM was convened by members of the FKF Congress in accordance with Article 31(2) of the FKF Constitution, 2017.
In a bid to iron out the frosty relations between the wrangling factions, impeccable sources told Eyes Watch Sports that the world and regional football governing bodies and government officials tirelessly urged them to consider an amicable and lasting solution after the meeting failed to kick off at the scheduled time due to chaos that broke out.
What is the genesis of all this row?
The power struggle took a crescendo when, on April 24, 2026, Mariga led nine of the 14 NEC members to pass resolutions seeking to suspend Hussein, Acting Secretary General Dennis Gicheru and nominated NEC member Abdullahi Yussuf Ibrahim, and to install Mariga as acting president pending investigations and a forensic audit.
The trigger was the Sh42.48 million paid on August 4, 2025, from FKF’s Ecobank tournament account to Riskwell Insurance Brokers Limited for CHAN 2024 insurance cover.
Mariga’s faction alleged the company had been registered only about six weeks earlier, did not hold a brokerage licence from the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA), and had been picked over properly licensed insurers, including Britam, which had quoted a lower premium.
Hussein’s Response
Hussein has been consistent in his defence as he insists that CAF, not FKF, procured the cover, that no FKF money was lost, and that the entire affair is a fightback by rivals threatened by his reform agenda.
Speaking before the Parliamentary Departmental Committee on Sports, Hussein accused Mariga and his allied NEC members of staging an attempted coup while attending an official AFCON 2027 workshop in Uganda – over the CHAN insurance debacle.
He added that the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) and the High Court had already blocked the April 24 resolutions, and that FIFA, in a letter dated May 25, 2026, had declared the suspensions unconstitutional for violating Article 41 of the FKF Constitution.
In a major boost for Hussein, the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA), in a letter dated June 22, 2026, closed its probe, finding that no Kenyan public funds were used, that the procurement was conducted under the CAF Procurement Framework and financed entirely through a CAF-controlled account, and that it therefore had no jurisdiction to investigate further.
The Safaricom Letter
The fallout did not stop at Kandanda House. It spilt over to sponsors.
In May 2026, Mariga, on behalf of the nine NEC members, wrote to Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa seeking to halt the launch of the fifth edition of the Chapa Dimba grassroots tournament in Kisumu.
The letter argued that “any agreement or partnership arrangement undertaken without the approval of the NEC is null, irregular and contrary to the provisions of the FKF Constitution which vests oversight and decision-making authority on all strategic, financial and partnership matters in the NEC.”
Safaricom reportedly invests Sh400 million in Chapa Dimba, with FKF believed to receive about Sh50 million from the sum. The faction eventually relented under public pressure, allowing the tournament to proceed.
Mariga’s faction also disputed the legitimacy of the SGM that expelled them, saying they were denied an opportunity to defend themselves, and that the meeting lacked quorum. They have vowed to challenge the expulsion in court.
FKF’s Stance
However, in an official statement issued Saturday evening, FKF reiterated that the assembly in Meru, which it described as the federation’s supreme decision-making organ, acted after considering allegations of serious and repeated violations of the FKF Constitution and applicable FIFA regulations against the seven.
The decision to expel Mariga and company, FKF maintains, was informed by several matters, including a purported NEC resolution of April 24 this year that sought the removal of the FKF president and other federation officials, repeated failure to attend duly convened NEC meetings, and unauthorised communication on behalf of the federation.
“The resolution follows consideration of allegations of serious and repeated violations of the FKF Constitution and applicable FIFA regulations relating to the conduct of the seven officials and their actions within the federation,” FKF said.
“The Assembly exercised its mandate under Articles 16 and 24 of the FKF Constitution, which provide for the expulsion of members and the dismissal of NEC officials,” the federation said.
“FKF remains committed to constitutional governance, institutional accountability and the stability of football administration in Kenya,” it added.
Harold Ndege’s Case
Lest you forget, another unresolved issue is that of Harold Ndege’s legal case after his ouster, with Dennis Gicheru assuming the Acting Secretary General role.
Ndege was appointed in February 2025 after playing a key role in the secretariat that helped Team Fresh Start win the FKF elections in December 2024.
He fell out with Hussein, who levelled 21 allegations against him, including gross misconduct, poor governance, failure to notify the President of a parliamentary summons dated October 28, 2025, and mishandling of national youth teams (U17 and U15).
On January 9, 2026, the Employment and Labour Relations Court issued interim orders stopping FKF from implementing a “Notice to Show Cause” to oust him. Despite that, FKF NEC met on January 15, and on February 6, 2026, appointed Dennis Gicheru as Acting General Secretary/CEO.
Latest position: Ndege has now gone to court seeking either reinstatement or close to Sh44.8 million in compensation for unfair dismissal, eight months into a three-year contract worth Sh800,000 gross per month.
He is demanding Sh28 million for the remainder of his contract, Sh4.8 million for unfair labour practice, Sh5 million in aggravated damages, Sh3 million over failure to provide security after an attack on his way to the office, and Sh3 million for denial of professional advancement.
Fuelling further uncertainty, earlier in the season, the 2026/27 SportPesa Premier League kick-off was delayed by over six weeks by conflicting High Court orders over promotion and relegation.
The dispute was eventually settled on the pitch after Kariobangi Sharks and Mombasa United agreed to a two-legged playoff. Mombasa United were declared winners after Sharks forfeited the abandoned second leg due to on-field skirmishes, earning promotion to the top flight. The season has since kicked off and is in its sixth round of matches.
To register his concerns on the latest developments, former Gor Mahia, Kenya Police FC and Posta Rangers captain Musa Mohammed has championed the prioritisation and better treatment of football players with respect by leaders.
“It has never been about the players. It has been about self-benefit. I just wish sometimes people could put the players first. Players give their time, their energy and their hearts. They deserve to be valued and respected. It’s not about fighting; it’s about doing what is right for the players in Kenya,” he said in a comment posted on a Facebook sports channel.
As at the time of going to press, Mariga had vowed to challenge the Meru resolutions in court, maintaining that the SGM was illegal and lacked quorum.
Meanwhile, the Kenyan football fraternity continues to pop popcorn to watch the pulsating and never-ending series and episodes.
