'Feudball' crisis: How Hussein fell out with Mariga

FKF president Hussein Mohammed, deputy president McDonald Mariga and NEC member Abdullah Yusuf at a past event in 2025. [FKF Media]

“I sought a partner whose passion matches my ambition, and that’s why I settled on Mariga,” said Hussein Mohammed, while unveiling former Harambee Stars captain McDonald Mariga as his running mate in the race for the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) presidency in October 2024.

The partnership appeared to have all the ingredients of a winning team. Mohammed brought administrative and commercial experience, while Mariga, the first Kenyan to win Uefa Champions League, carried the weight of a distinguished playing career and the appeal of a former international who understood the game.

“If you give us this chance and I am certain that we are winning, we will treat every player with respect,” said Mariga during their Team Fresh campaign.

But less than two years later, this alliance has collapsed spectacularly. The two men are at the centre of one of the most serious leadership crises in Kenyan football, with accusations of exclusion, financial impropriety, constitutional violations and attempts to seize control of the federation. The massive fallout saw the generation of two factions.

The conflict culminated on November 7, 2026, when the FKF General Assembly voted to expel Mariga and the six National Executive Committee (NEC) allied to him at a chaotic Special General Meeting in Meru. Other members who were expelled include Gabriel Mgendi (Coast), Dan Shikanda (Nairobi), Collins Kalee (Nyanza), Robert Macharia (Central), Bernard Lagat (Upper Rift Valley) and Violet Kerubo (Women Rep).

But on his side, Mohammed is enjoying the support of Charles Njoka (Eastern), Ahmedqadar Mohammed Dabar (North Eastern), Caleb Amwayi (Western), Peter Kamau (Lower Rift Valley), together with the co-opted duo of Abdullah Yusuf and Ken Rungu. Amwayi and Kamau were initially in the Mariga’s camp before they crossed over.

But the events that brought Kenyan football to this point were not the product of one controversial meeting or a single disagreement over money or governance and leadership related issues, it had been developing for months with mistrusts, and egos fueling the already fractured relationship.

The new administration inherited a federation with a couple of challenges, including the development of domestic competitions, national team performance, financial accountability and preparations for Kenya’s co-hosting of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) alongside Uganda and Tanzania. And as the rift continued to deepen, the effects spilled over to local leagues with the prolonged court battles not only delaying SportPesa Premier League kick off but also threw the start of the National Super League season into jeopardy.

The expectation was that Mohammed would provide the institutional leadership while Mariga would bring his football experience and help strengthen the federation’s engagement with players and other stakeholders. However, the partnership soon faced questions about how responsibilities were being shared.

Early cracks

According to Mohammed, the relationship began deteriorating at the first NEC meeting in January 2025.

In an interview after the chaotic Meru meeting, the FKF president claimed that Mariga wanted to exercise authority beyond the responsibilities of a deputy president.

Police Rapid Deployment Unit officers escort FKF vice president MacDonald Mariga for FKF Special General Meeting at Three Steers Hotel in Meru on November 7, 2026. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

“Mariga wanted to be the president and had the intention of pushing me aside. I don't regret what has happened to him,” Mohammed said.

He accused his deputy of seeking influence over virtually every major area of federation operations, including national teams, leagues, management and sponsorship.

Mohammed further claimed that Mariga wanted to sit on several committees and accompany national teams on most of their trips, some of which the president said he had personally financed. The deputy president, for his part, would later argue that he had been sidelined from the federation’s operations and denied the resources needed to carry out his official responsibilities.

The first major casualty

The tensions at Kandanda House were accompanied by disagreements over the federation’s administration, including the departure of General Secretary and Chief Executive Officer Harold Ndege.

Ndege had played a significant role in Mohammed’s rise to the presidency, making his eventual departure another development that raised questions about the stability of the new administration.  Mohammed cited 21 reasons for Ndege’s removal, among them were alleged, absenteeism, improper discharge of duties, a breakdown in communication and failure to provide leadership in leagues, competitions and security matters.

CHAN insurance controversy

The disagreement remained largely a matter of speculation until April 2026, when allegations surrounding the procurement of insurance for the delayed 2024 African Nations Championship (Chan) last year triggered an extraordinary confrontation within the NEC.

The controversy concerned a payment of approximately Sh42.48 million (USD 328,735), to Riskwell Insurance Brokers Limited for insurance cover associated with the tournament. Questions emerged over the procurement process and the company involved in the Kenyan transaction. Documents indicated that FKF transferred USD 328,735 to Riskwell on August 4, 2025, two days after the tournament had begun.

As the insurance controversy gained momentum, Mohammed rejected allegations of wrongdoing and disputed the suggestion that he had personally procured the cover or authorised an irregular payment.

Addressing the media at FKF headquarters in Kasarani on April 25, 2026, he maintained that CAF had handled the procurement process under the tournament’s hosting arrangements. He further insisted that FKF had not paid an insurance company for Chan. His position, however, contrasted with the documents seen by The Standard, which indicated that money had been transferred from an FKF/CAF account to Riskwell.

The disagreement also extended beyond the insurance payment. In submissions presented to Parliament, the NEC members alleged that the federation had entered into a separate insurance transaction outside the structured process under the Local Organising Committee (LOC). Mariga later filed a 63-page replying affidavit at the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT), setting out allegations of financial secrecy and what he described as parallel governance within the federation.

The attempted ouster

The dispute reached a turning point on April 24, 2026, when nine NEC members led by Mariga moved to suspend Mohammed, acting General Secretary Dennis Gicheru and nominated NEC member Abdullahi Yusuf Ibrahim.

The resolutions cited alleged financial impropriety and other statutory breaches linked to the Chan insurance cover arrangement. But Mohammed immediately rejected the resolutions, arguing that the meeting had not been convened in accordance with the FKF Constitution.

The attempt to remove Mohammed was quickly challenged before the Sports Disputes Tribunal. Ahmed Abdi Ahmed, the FKF Machakos County chairman, moved to the tribunal, arguing that the NEC meeting had breached the federation’s constitution and that its resolutions were unlawful. The tribunal issued interim orders restraining the Mariga-led faction from implementing the April 24 decisions.

The orders blocked the suspension of Mohammed and the other officials, the freezing of federation bank accounts and attempts to install Mariga as acting president. The dispute subsequently drew the attention of Fifa, which rejected the suspension altogether, saying the process had not been carried out in accordance with the FKF Constitution as well.

Parliament battleground

The crisis spilled into Parliament in May 2026, when the two sides appeared before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Sports, Culture and Tourism.

Mohammed accused Mariga of failing to alert him to what he described as an attempted coup while he was outside the country.

“There were attempts at a coup while I was in Uganda, and the vice president knew about it but did not inform me,” he told the committee. The NEC faction, meanwhile, maintained that it had acted within its mandate and was seeking accountability over the federation’s financial management.

Mariga then became more vocal about his position within the federation. He argued that his official duties were not being adequately funded and that he had been excluded from important decisions.

Last weekend, Mohammed claimed that Mariga had demanded a salary, bodyguards, an office secretary and a full-time driver. The president also claimed that he had personally financed some of Mariga’s trips with national teams. He said the two had held discussions and that he had conceded to some of his deputy’s demands, but eventually concluded that Mariga wanted to exercise the powers of the presidency.

Mariga dismissed the allegations, saying he was not motivated by greed.

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

McCarthy salary and work permit issues

The crisis unfolded against a wider backdrop of administrative challenges within FKF, including questions over the employment of Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy.

The South African tactician was appointed on March 3, 2025, on a two-year contract that was expected to run through the 2027 Afcon. On March 25, 2025, Mohammed clarified that they would be responsible for paying McCarthy and his technical team, but declined to disclose the contractual figures, citing privacy.

The issue resurfaced in September 2026 when the Bafana Bafana legend publicly criticised FKF over its failure to secure his work permit, approximately 18 months after his appointment.

“I always come around, do my job, and go back because I don’t have a work permit. You know when you get tired of saying to someone, please can we do that? You end up with words that come out of your mouth and end up falling on deaf ears,” he lamented.

In September, Harambee Stars players boycotted training ahead of an Afcon qualifier against Eritrea, demanding payment of outstanding allowances. The federation, later, said the government had cleared some of the allowances and that players would receive the money.

Meru SGM showdown

The latest chapter in the dispute before the Meru SGM began in October 2026. On October 27, Mariga issued a notice calling for an NEC meeting on November 4 at a Nairobi hotel. However, Fifa intervened on November 2, writing to FKF and stopping the meeting from taking place on the grounds that it had not been properly convened.

With the NEC deeply divided, attention shifted to the FKF Special General Meeting on November 7, at Three Steers Hotel in Meru. The meeting was expected to consider the actions of the seven NEC members involved in the April resolutions, the implications of those decisions for FKF operations and the way forward for the federation.

The meeting, however, was delayed for almost three hours due to the ugly scenes of violence that left the owners of the facility counting losses after police lobbed teargas in an attempt to take charge of the chaotic scene.

Prior to the chaos, Mariga had arrived at the venue accompanied by Rapid Deployment Unit officers. A retired referee, appeared to confront him as the vehicle stopped, prompting heavily armed officers to intervene and escort the former Harambee Stars captain into the building. Some delegates reportedly struggled to access the meeting, raising concerns about whether all accredited members would be able to participate.

Despite the tense circumstances, the SGM eventually voted to expel Mariga and the six dissenting NEC members in absentia after being accused of gross misconduct by 65 of 66 delegates out of 92 who attended the meeting. The SGM recommended further disciplinary actions to be taken against them at judicial bodies of FKF, CAF and Fifa.

While responding to a request on the floor from AFC Leopards chairman Boniface Ambani, the only delegate who voted against the expulsion decision on all the seven members during the SGM, to embrace dialogue, FKF president reiterated that he had convened several meetings with the former Kenyan international-led faction giving them a wide berth.

“For the record, all the seven NEC members, who the congress has taken action against were invited to submit their submissions, none of them did. A notice was issued to them, and they never responded in writing and never sent a representative. And as you have witnessed today, they are not present before you to address the charges against them. In that regard, we had to proceed with the meeting as convened. We will never give up on Kenyan football, there’s no going back. We must fix it and it will not be business as usual,” said Mohammed.

But even as Mariga defended the decision of arriving at the venue under tight security, he hinted at seeking a legal address after being blocked from attending the meeting with delegates allied to him.

“How can you expel someone who has not been given a chance to defend himself. The same way Fifa told us to give him a fair hearing, is what we are also asking for. We are just paying the price for fighting corruption. We are going to seek advice from our lawyers before taking the next step,” said Mariga.

“I came with the security as a precaution because we had intelligence there were some goons around. When I returned there with true delegates, we were denied entry. Most of those who voted are not bonafide delegates.”

What next?

Although Sports lawyer Raphael Omala believes the removal of the seven NEC members was not procedural, to avert further crisis the federation needs to hold a special elective assembly within 60 days.

“I’m shocked with the procedure that was undertaken. Those members should have been called to defend themselves, given an opportunity to be heard so that their conduct can be deliberated. That is one of the grounds taken against them that can be challenged. It’s supposed to be a trial and I know in the end they were to be removed but the procedure wasn’t right. If they are challenged in the tribunal, I’m sure that decision will be stayed,” said Omala.

“With their expulsion, the federation now needs to move with speed and hold a special elective assembly within 60 days to fill those positions.”

But for former FKF Secretary General Lordvick Aduda, the SGM scenes damaged the reputation of Kenyan football as the country prepares to co-host next year's Afcon.

“I think football lost today because there are some decisions prior to, during and after the SGM that are anti-football. But I hope those were genuine delegates and their decision is for the best interest of Kenyan football, and will help to sort the mess once and for all. And if they aren’t genuine, the resolutions might lack legality, and if there are games played then the game is in a bad place,” said Aduda.

It will be interesting to see how world football governing body, Fifa and Confederation of African Football (CAF) whose representatives were at the SGM, will react to the saddening scenes from hell under the slopes of Mt Kenya.