Kenyan football’s long-running leadership disputes are expected to reach a decisive point this weekend, with Football Kenya Federation (FKF) holding a Special General Meeting (SGM) in Meru on Saturday, followed by a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Nairobi on Sunday.
These meetings could determine the future of the federation’s leadership, as the rift between FKF President Hussein Mohamed and a faction led by Vice-President MacDonald Mariga widens.
On Saturday, 91 delegates representing FKF members are expected to attend the SGM, where they will discuss the conduct of seven NEC members who have been accused of rebelling against the federation’s leadership.
Football Kenya Federation National Executive Committee members Muriithi Nabea (centre) and Dabar Ahmedqadar (second left) during a press conference in Nairobi on March 16, 2024.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
They are Mariga; Women’s Rep Kerubo Momanyi; Nyanza NEC member Collins Kale; Coast NEC member Gabriel Mghendi; Upper Rift Valley NEC member Bernard Lagat; Nairobi NEC member Dan Shikanda; and Central NEC member Robert Macharia.
The Referees Association, Coaches Association and Homa Bay County will not be eligible to attend or vote at the SGM, as they have not held the required elections.
Last week, some delegates proposed that all NEC members, including Mohamed, be summoned to appear before the General Assembly. The Mariga-led faction has been in dispute with Mohamed over the running of the federation and has missed seven NEC meetings called by the president.
On October 30, Mohamed and NEC members allied to him wrote a strongly worded letter to Mariga regarding his failure to attend the seven meetings. They also accused him of planning a parallel NEC meeting on November 4.
“Importantly, two NEC members have issued you with a cease-and-desist letter regarding the continued use of their signatures to misrepresent their position on their resolve to support the federation’s football development agenda,” the letter stated.
The members in question are Peter Kamau, the Central Rift representative, and Caleb Amwayi, the Western representative, who withdrew their support and signatures from a petition seeking Mohamed’s removal on May 25.
“We also wish to draw your attention to the Fifa letter dated May 25, 2026, in which Fifa specifically warned of the consequences of individuals continuing to breach FKF Constitution,” the letter said.
For the General Assembly to pass resolutions to remove NEC members or the entire committee, a two-thirds majority of delegates present is required. This translates to at least 61 votes. Failure to secure the required votes would mean the current NEC remains in office as the disputes persists.
Under Article 24(c) of FKF Constitution, the General Assembly has the authority to ‘elect, ratify and dismiss the president and all the other members of the National Executive Committee’.
Should the delegates remove the seven elected NEC members, the constitution stipulates that the FKF Secretary-General must convene another General Assembly within 60 days to elect replacements to serve out the remainder of their term.
This would result in fresh elections on January 7, with those elected serving until 2028.
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) vice president McDonald Mariga (Left) and NEC member for Nairobi Dan Shikanda when they appeared before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Sports and Culture at Bunge Tower in Nairobi on May 5, 2026.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group
However, if the entire NEC were to be removed, the delegates would be required to seek intervention from Fifa and the Confederation of African Football (Caf).
“The constitution allows them to engage with Caf and Fifa regarding the current situation and find a way forward amid the disputes. Fifa can then decide to form a normalisation committee,” said former FKF secretary Lordvick Aduda.
The outcome of Saturday’s SGM will also determine whether Sunday’s NEC meeting goes ahead. If the seven members are removed, the meeting may not take place due to a lack of quorum.
“The entire NEC has caused confusion, so they should go home. They took the Gor and Nairobi case to court, failed to establish judicial bodies, disbanded electoral boards, and established 290 sub-branches, yet Homa Bay has not held elections,” said Aduda.
In a letter dated October 5, Fifa raised concerns that the disputes were hindering the development of football in Kenya, a country preparing to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) alongside Uganda and Tanzania.
FKF president Hussein Mohammed (third from right in front row) poses for a photo alongside FKF National Executive Committee members, CAF and Fifa officials in Nairobi on June 30, 2026.
Photo credit: Pool
Mariga’s faction is demanding accountability for expenditure during the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) and for the federation’s budget and financial reports. The group claims the leadership has failed to provide important financial information.
These divisions could also scare away sponsors at a time when court cases and disputes over the 2019 promotion and relegation rules continue to delay the start of the National Super League.
