Football Kenya Federation president Hussein Mohammed.
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president, Hussein Mohammed, has spoken of the huge responsibility bestowed on him of reforming local football, adding that he cherishes the challenge that comes with huge expectations from local football stakeholders.
In a wide-ranging interview with Nation Sport, the 47-year-old businessman who was elected to office on December 7, 2024 along with his deputy McDonald Mariga, has described his first 30 days in office as “baptism by fire”, but pointed out that FKF Executive Committee was prepared to chew gum and walk at the same time.
Hussein, who was elected in the middle of the 2024/2025 FKF Premier League season on a platform for transparency, accountability, and integrity, has been thrust deep into seeing about Kenya’s hosting of the delayed 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), recruiting a new coach for national football team Harambee Stars, and preparing the team to compete in the tournament reserved for home-based players.
The other immediate task is to constitute new committees to keep ongoing leagues and competitions running, as well as getting partners to sponsor local football.
“We are keeping all the balls in the air. We campaigned on a platform for transparency, accountability, and integrity, and we have our work cut out for us. The first task for me and the FKF National Executive Committee (FKF NEC) was to form a team to oversee transition, and to institute a forensic audit of FKF’s finances, and human resource. We expect a comprehensive report at the end of this month which we will make public. Our immediate task has been to oversee Kenya’s preparations for Mapinduzi Cup in Zanzibar, and engaging the Confederation of African Football on hosting of 2024 CHAN. We are also looking for a substantive coach for the national team,” Hussein told Nation Sport.
Hussein is at the exact spot where his predecessor Nick Mwendwa was eight years ago. Information Technology specialist Mwendwa, who branded himself as ‘Team Change’, was overwhelmingly voted to office on February 10, 2016 on a platform for change. He garnered 50 votes out of a possible 77 to take over from Sam Nyamweya.
But Mwendwa fell on his sword after a series of administrative and financial blunders, notably his failure to account for Sh244 million from the government to facilitate a training camp for Harambee Stars in France ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, FKF’s bungling of sponsorship deals with corporates, and purchase of Sh135 million Outside Broadcast (OB) van that was not yet delivered when his second term ended on December 7, 2024.
On November 11, 2021, then Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed disbanded FKF and installed a caretaker committee during Mwendwa’s term, leading to Fifa’s suspension of Kenya “due to government interference.”
On December 7, 2024, Hussein and his running mate Mariga won first round of FKF elections on 40 votes against Mwendwa and his running mate Doris Petra who got 31. Hussein won the second round on 67 votes.
Like Mwendwa in his first days in office, Hussein enjoys goodwill from most stakeholders in local football, notably among fans and the government.
Hussein is cognizant of the huge expectations on his team, and is determined to ride on goodwill from football stakeholders.
“We have seen overwhelming goodwill from stakeholders. The mood out there is that we are on the right trajectory, and we need to be consistent but patient with the process. We have a strategy that is in line with our manifesto, and we hope to attract enough support to execute it. We need good governance structures that will inspire credibility and transparency among our partners. That will attract the support we need to fund our programmes,” he observed.
He said lack of integrity is the biggest problem that has affected FKF in the last 10 years.
“Credibility issues have been raised time and time again, and the only way to fix it is to show our partners, third parties and the general public that we are committed to good governance, and having good structures at the federation to ensure we are transparent and accountable to Kenyans. This is the only way we can mobilise resources to invest in grassroots football. Sound governance and administrative foundation are key to our success.”
Hussein also said FKF will use the delayed 2024 CHAN as a launchpad for co-hosting the 2027 Afcon, also with Uganda and Tanzania under ‘Pamoja bid.’
He said FKF was using the tournament to develop requisite infrastructure to host key sporting championships in the future, and to build a strong national team for the future.
“The 2024 CHAN is a launchpad for the work we will do for 2027 Afcon, and in the qualifiers for 2026 Fifa World Cup. It is a proper recce for what needs to happen down the road with regard to big competitions.
“As hosts, we must put up a good show. We must also ensure our technical bench is properly constituted. Let’s be patient to build a national team that can win us matches in future. This requires patience and resources,” he said.
Hussein pointed out that his team is in the process of establishing governance structures and restoring credibility in the local leagues and competitions so as to attract sponsors to fund the federation’s activities.
“FKF’s National Executive Committee is aware of the need to constitute sub-committees and standing committees to support the running of local leagues and competitions. We need sound good governance structures to support our competitions, and to give credibility to the institution. We must operate transparently and in an honest manner. This will attract the support that we need to fund our activities.
The federation is in the process of recruiting a full-time coach for Harambee Stars.
“FKF is looking for a substantive coach, and a competent technical bench to achieve our objectives. It is an ongoing process, which is why the current technical bench was appointed on an interim basis. We will give direction on the new coach in a week or so after tying up the loose ends. We made it clear that Kimanzi is the interim coach, and that remains the case. We want to get things right, given the contractual obligations and the journey ahead. We have had a big challenge with coaches in terms of paying their dues, and we don’t want to fall in a similar trap,” Hussein said.
Former Harambee Stars coaches Adel Amrouche and Bobby Williamson sued Kenya over unpaid dues, the country is yet to pay coach Engin Firat who quit in November 2024, having failed to take Kenya to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, and 2024 CHAN. Kenya will play in the latter tournament as one of the host nations. Harambee Stars competed in Mapinduzi Cup, a knock-out football tournament organised to commemorate Zanzibar Revolution in the Tanzanian archipelago, to prepare for 2024 CHAN.
The 17 teams heading to East Africa to join hosts Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in the tournament are Morocco, Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo, Sudan, Zambia, Angola and Madagascar Two more nations will join after a final round of qualification.
While announcing the formation of a department at FKF dedicated to advancement of women’s football, Hussein also emphasised the need for financial literacy among players to ensure they do not struggle to take care of themselves in old age.
“We must come up with a programme to build capacity among our players by way of financial literacy to help players better manage their resources, and to sensitise them on health insurance packages available. We will champion the push for all our players to benefit from healthcare opportunities available locally,” Hussein said.
In a departure from the past, FKF will partner with Kenya Primary Schools Sports Association and Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association to nurture football talent for age-group competitions.
