Fifa lifts suspension on Kenya
Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba (fourth right) poses for photos with chairpersons of the Kenyan Premier League clubs at thehis Maktaba Kuu offices in Nairobi on November 3, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Former Sports CS Amina Mohamed had disbanded the body on November 11 last year on grounds of alleged misappropriation of funds
- She replaced it with a Caretaker Committee and later a Transition Committee
- After his appointment as the new CS Sports, Namwamba began the process of having Kenya back to international football by engaging football club officials and the disbanded FKF led by its president Nick Mwendwa
World football governing body, Fifa has lifted the suspension it imposed on Kenya on February 24.
In a letter addressed to Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Secretary General Barry Otieno, Fifa Secretary General Fatma Samoura said the world football governing body arrived at the decision to lift the suspension following the reinstatement into office of the FKF Executive Committee by new Sports CS Ababu Namwamba.
“We would like to inform you that the situation of the FKF was submitted to the Bureau of Fifa Council for consideration and decision on 25 November, 2022,”said Samoura in the letter sent on Monday.
“On this occasion, the Bureau was informed of the official letter dated 4 November, 2022 from the FKF General Secretary Barry Otieno to Fifa confirming that the Kenyan government as represented by the newly appointed Cabinet Secretary for Sports, the Hon. Ababu Namwamba had reinstated the FKF Executive committee with immediate effect. The bureau also noted that the FKF General secretary further asserted that the FKF offices had been handed back to the association‘s elected leaders.
“In view of the circumstances, the Bureau of the council decided on 25 November 2022, to lift the suspension of the FKF with immediate effect.”
She added that “upon the lifting of the suspension, a Fifa-Caf mission will deployed to Nairobi in order to define the next steps for the FKF and also meet with the newly appointed Cabinet Secretary for Sports."
Before suspending Kenya from all its activities, Fifa had demanded that the government reinstate into office the disbanded FKF NEC and Secretariat.
Former Sports CS Amina Mohamed had disbanded the body on November 11 last year on grounds of alleged misappropriation of funds. She replaced it with a Caretaker Committee and later a Transition Committee.
CS Amina then tried to convince Fifa to lift the suspension but the World football governing body stood its ground.
After his appointment as the new CS Sports, Namwamba began the process of having Kenya back to international football by engaging football club officials and the disbanded FKF led by its president Nick Mwendwa.
He then reinstated into office the disbanded FKF NEC and Secretariat on November 4 in order to have the ban lifted. With Mwendwa still fighting to clear his name of graft charges in court, Namwamba announced that FKF Vice president Doris Petra and Otieno will be in charge of football management in the country for the time being.
Last week while in Qatar for the ongoing World Cup, Namwamba met Fifa president Gianni Infantino, Samoura and CAF president Patrice Motsepe.
