FKF Presidency: This is what awaits Hussein and Mariga at Kandanda House

FKF president Hussein Mohammed casts his vote during Elective Special General Meeting at Kasarani Gymnasium on Saturday. [Jonah Onyango، Standard]

Without a doubt, the newly elected Football Kenya Federation president Hussein Mohammed has a full-in tray as he begins his four-year tenure at Kandanda House.

From poor leadership, to constant wrangles, mismanagement, embezzlement of funds, match fixing claims, lack of sponsorship and poor infrastructure have derailed the growth of Kenyan football.

These are some of the problems Kenyans are expecting the Extreme Sports CEO to solve even as the country’s chances of co-hosting next year’s African Nations Championship (Chan) alongside Tanzania and Uganda remain in limbo due to unpreparedness.

Although the 47-year-old experienced football administrator finally achieved his delayed dream of being the Kenyan football boss at Kasarani Gymnasium on Saturday, he has no time to rest. He is the biggest hope for Kenyan football.

He has not only the task to make a decision on the future of the embattled Harambee Stars coach Engine Firat, but also set up a competent secretariat that will help lure sponsors back into Kenyan football and fans back into the stadium. 

Mohammed and his elected team should strongly invest in the forgotten women’s and youth football who appear to be mostly the shining star for Kenyans. Save for the two teams, there is currently little to write about Kenyan football.

With the majority of Rising Stars players expected to feature for Kenya in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), their immediate focus should be on how this team starts early preparations ahead of 2025 U20 Afcon.

In addition, the new office must ensure all the grants coming from world football governing body Fifa, and continental body (CAF) do the right job to uplift the standards of the game in the country.

Sadly, the once celebrated FKF Premier League is now a pale shadow of its former self with no prize money and a battery of sponsors like yesteryears.

Dominant tales of poor officiating and match fixing claims, teams failing to secure match venues or playing in unstandardised facilities, while players either earning peanuts or going unpaid, has been a constant feature.

The state is worsened in the other leagues with most teams enduring financial constraints while literally playing for nothing. This is the time Club Licensing must work by all means.

But with former Harambee Stars and Inter Milan midfielder McDonald Mariga around as his deputy, Mohammed feels Kenyan football is now in safe hands.

“I assure you that football is now in the right hands. We anticipate, of course, some challenges ahead, but we are up to the task and I am very confident that we will fix it," said Mohamed.

"During our campaigns, we were very clear that we wanted to fix Kenyan football and we wanted to start with governance."

He continued: “With over 20 years’ experience between Mariga and myself in our careers, him as a footballer and myself as an administrator, we have a proven track record to deliver. Our history is open for everybody to research and I can assure you that we intend to carry on in the same spirit to bring glory and prosperity to this particular sport in the country.

“We will focus on grassroots football and we will work with everybody. I think I made that pledge when I was campaigning. It's not going to change."

Tusker chairman Charles Gacheru and Kenya Footballers Welfare Association (KEFWA) president James Situma urged the newly elected to capitalise on the goodwill of all stakeholders in the country and revive the ailing game.

“It is a fresh start with a new team of experienced people. Hussein has experience off the pitch, while Mariga has experience on the pitch. Based on Dan Shikanda and Robert Macharia’s experience, Kenyans have a lot of hopes in this office. We now have people in NEC who know what Kenyan football is as we look forward to 2025 Chan and 2027 Afcon,” said Gacheru.

Situma added: “We expect them to fix our football and come up with a good strategy for our game as we prepare to host Chan and Afcon. For them to get sponsorship money that will help them run their operations, they need to walk the talk.”

“The honeymoon is over and what they need to do now is just come up with a strong and competent secretariat; people who are focused on building the game and know the job. Let them not make a mistake of rewarding their cronies at the expense of professionalism.”