Mariga takes FKF ouster fight to Fifa, accuses Hussein Mohamed of betrayal

Ousted Football Kenya Federation (FKF) vice-president McDonald Mariga has petitioned Fifa to overturn his controversial removal, accusing President Hussein Mohamed of orchestration, betrayal and gross violation of due process during last Saturday’s chaotic Special General Meeting (SGM) in Meru.

Speaking to Nation Sports, Mariga said he had provided the world football governing body with all the relevant information regarding the feud, and had sought its intervention.

He ruled out taking the matter to court. “I am consulting with my lawyers on whether to challenge my expulsion at the Sports Disputes Tribunal,” he said.

This follow a bitter feud with FKF President Mohamed, whom he accused of betraying him and the trust that Kenyans placed in them to manage football.

Mariga said he and the seven other National Executive Committee members who were expelled were denied a fair hearing amid chaotic scenes that disrupted the proceedings.

“When we removed Hussein in May, Fifa said due process had not been followed and that he had not been given an opportunity to be heard. We were not heard on Saturday, nor were we given a chance to respond to the accusations against us. Secret ballots were not used, and there were impostors,” said the former Harambee Stars player.

He added; “We are still consulting our lawyers on whether we should go to the SDT. However, our case is with Fifa and it is a very solid one. Due process was not followed in removing us.”

Mariga also defended his decision to travel to the meeting accompanied by heavily armed police officers, saying he had received intelligence suggesting that his life would be in danger.

Also Read: Mariga fights back: ‘My ouster from FKF was illegal’

“I wrote to the security agencies, who assessed the situation, gathered intelligence, and informed me that I was the main target. There were plans to stab and kill me. There were thugs with clubs, knives and machetes. That is why I did not travel in the same car as the other NEC members,” he said.

When he tried to join the meeting in Meru, he was reportedly told he could not enter because he was not a delegate.

Speaking about his difficult relationship with Mohamed, Mariga — the only Kenyan to have won the Uefa Champions League — said he felt betrayed when their working relationship deteriorated.

Also Read: Why Fifa gave Mariga-called NEC meeting a red card

He claimed they had agreed he would oversee the national teams and youth competitions.

Mariga also revealed that he had personally financed many of Mohamed’s campaigns in the Rift Valley, Nyanza and Western regions, while the expelled NEC member, Robert Macharia, had mobilised support in the Mt Kenya and Northern Kenya regions. Gabriel Mghendi was assigned to the Coast region.

“Friends gave us money, but he was in charge. However, in the areas where I campaigned, I used my own money and not funds from our campaign kitty. When we were drawing up the agreement, he refused to sign it, saying he was a Muslim. I took him at his word, only for him to turn his back on me,” he said.

The former Inter Milan midfielder also took issue with Mohamed’s claims that he had paid for his travel expenses using personal funds whenever the national team had fixtures.

“We always prepared budgets, and the Ministry used to fund national team air tickets, accommodation, and even buses. So how did he help me? As soon as we took office, he changed, and after the CHAN scandal, he openly sidelined me,” said Mariga.

He claimed there were times when he was forced to pay his own travel and accommodation expenses when accompanying national teams on official duty. He cited trips to Uganda with the Under-23 women’s national team and to Tanzania with the men’s Under-23 national team, saying he had to make his own arrangements.

Also Read: Why FKF boss Hussein and his deputy Mariga fell out

“In Uganda, I was told that the vehicle that was supposed to pick me up had no fuel. The hotel informed me that I would have to pay for it myself, even though the team was staying there. I have on several occasions used my own money to buy energy drinks and medication for teams because these were not provided,” he said.

Mariga dismissed suggestions that he joined the FKF leadership to enjoy a lavish lifestyle.

“I swear I have not been paid a penny for the trips I have made.

“I have an Escalade, a Hummer H2, a Dodge Challenger and a Jaguar. What other flashy cars did I want from the federation?”

He said proposals to provide officials with salaries, bodyguards and offices were included in the transition document prepared when the current administration took office and that these were not his personal demands.

However, Mariga maintained that he was willing to work with Mohamed, insisting that he remained committed to improving Kenyan football. “But I want rampant corruption at the federation to be addressed.”

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