CAF President Patrice Motsepe to Meet FKF Officials Amid Leadership Crisis and AFCON 2027 Preparations

Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe is scheduled to meet with key Kenyan football officials amidst ongoing leadership disputes within the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Patrice Motsepe's visit is part of the Africa Forward Summit, which will be held in Nairobi on Monday and Tuesday, May 11-12.

While he is slated to address the summit on Monday afternoon regarding the state of African football, his discussions with Kenya's top officials are drawing significant attention.

The country, set to co-host the 2027 AFCON with Uganda and Tanzania, is grappling with a severe internal power struggle.

The local football governing body has fractured into two opposing factions, casting a shadow over its preparations for the continental tournament.

“Kenya is amongst the three Nations that will host next year’s TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (“AFCON”) in June-July 2027 – the biggest sporting event on African soil,” a statement from CAF read.

“Dr Motsepe will also hold several meetings with senior officials from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda on the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2027 preparations.”

Meanwhile, the conflict erupted last month when FKF President Hussein Mohammed was purportedly removed from his position by members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in a meeting led by his deputy, McDonald Mariga.

Mohammed faces accusations of involvement in the loss of KSh 42 million, which was allegedly paid as brokerage fees to an unlicensed firm for the Africa Nations Championships (CHAN) license last year.

Mohammed has vehemently contested his ouster, labelling it illegal. He argues that under Article 38 of the FKF constitution, only the president has the authority to convene an NEC meeting, rendering the "coup d'etat" invalid. Meanwhile, Mariga maintains that he is the legitimate acting president.

The situation has been further complicated by legal interventions. Both the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) and the High Court have issued rulings that temporarily block Mariga's faction from enforcing the resolutions passed during the contentious NEC meeting, granting Mohammed a reprieve.

In recent weeks, the two leaders have been locked in a public power struggle, issuing conflicting directives in an attempt to assert control over the federation's operations.

As this tug-of-war continues, Kenyan football fans are concerned that the infighting could disrupt the Local Organising Committee (LOC) responsible for AFCON preparations.

Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya recently restructured the committee, led by Nicholas Musonye, to include members of the NEC as well as both Mohammed and Mariga.