The leadership wrangles within the Football Kenya Federation took a dramatic turn yesterday, when a Special General Meeting resolved to expel vice president McDonald Mariga together with six dissenting National Executive Committee (NEC) members allied to him.
The meeting held at Three Steers Hotel in Meru was marred by chaos after police officers lobbed tear gas inside the hall where the meeting was set to take place as they attempted to eject delegates.
The other six NEC members who were ousted by the SGM are Kerubo Momanyi (Women Representative), Gabriel Mghendi (Coast), Dan Shikanda (Nairobi), Collins Opiyo Kalee (Nyanza), Robert Macharia (Central) and Bernard Lagat (Upper Rift Valley).
While FKF president Hussein Mohammed said the dissenting members did not give their submissions despite being invited to do so, Shikanda claimed that they were denied access to the venue.
The seven executive committee members led by Mariga were accused of violating the FKF Constitution. They were accused of purporting to unlawfully remove Hussein, Acting FKF General Secretary Dennis Gicheru and nominated NEC member Abdullahi Yusuf from their positions using the resolutions of the April 24 NEC meeting, purporting to remove Hussein from office without affording him an appearance before them, failing to attend convened NEC meetings thus frustrating the execution of its mandate, purporting to communicate on behalf of the federation by issuing correspondents and taking football-related disputes to ordinary courts.
Football Kenya Federation President Hussein Mohammed (centre), acting CEO Dennis Gicheru (second right) during the federation's Special General Meeting at Three Steers Hotel, Meru on November 7, 2025.
Photo credit: Pool
Of the 66 delegates who attended the SGM, 65 voted in favour of the expulsion of Mariga, Macharia and Mghendi.
For Lagat, Kalee and Momanyi, 64 delegates voted in favour of their removal.
The SGM also recommended that further disciplinary action be taken against them at the judicial bodies of FKF, CAF and Fifa.
In a media briefing at a separate hotel in Meru, Shikanda, who spoke on behalf of the expelled members, alleged that due process was not followed in the SGM.
He charged that some of the delegates at the meeting were imposters and that he remained the bona fide NEC member for Nairobi.
“It is an interesting day for Kenyan football because if you accuse me and you don’t allow me to reach the floor to defend myself, then definitely justice has not been done,” said Shikanda.
“It is unfortunate that when we started to approach the venue, they (Hussein’s faction) sent about 200 youths to disperse us. I think they had instructions not to allow us to come in. We have a competent team that knows our constitution and the federation constitution.
“Whatever they did when we talk about process was not a process that can stand any test. When they say 66 delegates were present, we assure Kenyans that 60 per cent were not genuine delegates. We were with the genuine ones,” said the former AFC Leopards chairman.
When Nation Sport made its way inside the venue of the SGM at around 7:30 am, tension was already running high, with several youth gathering near the hotel’s gate. Dozens of armed police officers were inside the hotel compound.
Tight security at Three Steers Hotel in Meru, the venue of Football Kenya Federation SGM on November 7, 2026.
Photo credit: Victor Otieno | Nation Media Group
Mariga arrived at the hotel in a police car escorted by dozens of police officers from the Rapid Deployment Unit.
But just as delegates were settling for the meeting, the police who had accompanied him ordered everyone outside the hall. Moments later, the delegates retuned to the hall, insisting on proceeding with the SGM, and it was then that hell broke loose.
The police officers lobbed tear gas while threatening to clobber the delegates. They also threatened to eject visitors from their rooms.
At one time, Hussein appeared at the hotel lawn, but the police fired tear gas, forcing him and other delegates to scamper for safety.
Shikanda said Mariga was accompanied by the police for his own safety. The bitter fallout in the FKF NEC was precipitated by a decision by the Mariga-led faction to pass a resolution on April 24, suspending Mohammed, acting General Secretary Dennis Gicheru and nominated NEC member Abdullahi Yusuf over allegations of a Sh42.48 million 2024 African Nations Championship insurance fraud.
The Sport Disputes Tribunal and the High Court later issued injunctions against the resolutions by the Mariga-led faction until a case filed by the federation was heard and determined.
