The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Hussein Mohammed has moved to change how Kenya’s national teams conduct themselves during official engagements with the country’s top leadership, particularly meetings involving President William Ruto.
Hussein has reportedly taken a firm position against what has popularly been described as the “Weka Mawe” culture, where players use opportunities to meet the Head of State to present personal requests, seek financial assistance or ask for individual favours.
The issue came into focus following a breakfast meeting involving President Ruto and members of Kenya’s women’s national teams after the Junior Starlets secured qualification for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.
During the July meeting, which brought together the Junior Starlets and Harambee Starlets, some players used the opportunity to make a number of requests to the President. Among the issues raised were medical insurance and cover, bonuses and access to affordable housing.
While such requests may reflect genuine concerns affecting athletes, the incident is understood to have prompted concern within FKF over the manner in which official engagements with the Head of State are conducted.
Hussein subsequently reprimanded members of the Kenya U17 technical bench over the incident, with the FKF leadership stressing that players should be properly guided before participating in high-level official functions.
The federation now wants future meetings between national teams and the President to maintain a clear professional focus.
According to the new approach, such occasions should primarily provide an opportunity to recognise the achievements of the teams, discuss football development and strengthen the relationship between the national teams and the government.
Technical benches have consequently been warned against allowing players to turn official engagements into platforms for making personal appeals or seeking favours.
The directive is also expected to place greater responsibility on coaches and team officials, who will be required to brief players on the appropriate conduct and expectations before attending similar events.
The development comes at a time when Kenya’s national teams are receiving increased attention following several notable achievements on the international stage.
The Junior Starlets’ qualification for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup marked another important milestone for Kenyan women’s football, while the Harambee Starlets continue to prepare for major international assignments.
FKF’s position is that players representing Kenya should approach presidential and other official engagements as ambassadors of the country and the sport.
The federation’s latest stance therefore signals a desire to draw a clearer line between official recognition of sporting achievements and individual requests, with technical teams expected to ensure that future engagements remain organised, respectful and focused on the broader interests of Kenyan football.
