World football governing body FIFA has formally rejected the process used by a section of the Football Kenya Federation National Executive Committee to force President Hussein Mohammed and other federation officials, including Acting General Secretary Dennis Gicheru and nominated NEC member Abdulahi Yusuf Ibrahim, to step aside, citing violations of the FKF Constitution.
In a communication addressed to FKF NEC members, FIFA said the federation had failed to provide sufficient evidence demonstrating that the actions taken complied with the procedures set out under Article 41 of the 2017 FKF Constitution.
The dispute stems from an April 24, 2026 decision in which nine of the 14 NEC members, led by Vice President McDonald Mariga, voted to suspend the three officials over alleged irregularities linked to the procurement of a Sh42.8 million insurance cover for the delayed 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), which was eventually co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
The NEC faction alleged that the insurance tender had been awarded to a company that was unlicensed, insufficiently vetted and non-compliant with tax obligations, despite the existence of more competitive bids.
However, FIFA maintained that any directive compelling an official to “step aside” constitutes a provisional suspension and must therefore strictly adhere to constitutional safeguards.
These include placing the matter formally on the agenda, notifying NEC members in advance, meeting quorum and voting thresholds, and granting affected officials the right to be heard before any resolution is adopted.
According to FIFA, the submissions and documentation presented by FKF did not demonstrate compliance with those requirements, rendering the decisions procedurally invalid and therefore unrecognisable by the global governing body.
FIFA further warned that actions undertaken outside the federation’s constitutional framework could not produce valid legal effect and cautioned that officials found to have breached FKF statutes could face disciplinary action through the federation’s judicial bodies.
The world governing body also urged FKF members to exercise restraint and uphold principles of due process, good governance and institutional stability amid the escalating leadership dispute.
