By Brian Said Iha, FIFA, May 30, 2026
The leadership crisis at the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has taken a dramatic turn after FIFA officially rejected the suspension of FKF President Hussein Mohammed, effectively nullifying attempts by a section of the National Executive Committee (NEC) to remove him from office and install Vice President McDonald Mariga as acting president.
In a strongly worded communication addressed to FKF officials, FIFA ruled that the process used to suspend Mohammed, Acting General Secretary Dennis Gicheru, and NEC member Abdullahi Yusuf Ibrahim did not comply with the provisions of the FKF Constitution and therefore could not be recognized.
The world football governing body stated that the NEC faction failed to follow the procedures outlined under Article 41 of the FKF Constitution, which governs the suspension or provisional dismissal of elected officials. FIFA noted that there was insufficient evidence to demonstrate that proper notice was given, constitutional voting requirements were met, or that the affected officials were granted an opportunity to defend themselves before the resolutions were passed.
The decision effectively invalidates the resolutions passed by the faction of NEC members who had voted to suspend Hussein Mohammed over alleged financial and governance concerns linked to preparations for the African Nations Championship (CHAN). The same meeting had also proposed that Mariga assume leadership of the federation on an interim basis pending investigations.
By rejecting the suspension, FIFA has reaffirmed Hussein Mohammed as the legitimate president of FKF and signaled that any leadership changes within member associations must strictly adhere to constitutional and governance requirements. The global football body further warned that decisions taken outside the federation’s constitutional framework cannot produce valid legal effects and may attract further scrutiny.
The ruling is a major victory for Mohammed, who has consistently maintained that the move to oust him was unlawful and politically motivated. It also represents a significant setback for the Mariga-led faction, whose efforts to take control of the federation have now been blocked by both FIFA and earlier rulings from Kenya’s Sports Disputes Tribunal.
With FIFA’s intervention, attention is now expected to shift toward restoring stability within FKF as Kenya continues preparations for upcoming regional and continental football competitions. However, the federation remains deeply divided, and the latest ruling is unlikely to immediately end the power struggle that has dominated Kenyan football administration in recent weeks.
