FKF Wrangles Spill Over to Sponsors as McDonald Mariga's Faction Seeks to Halt Grassroots Tournament

Football Kenya Federation’s (FKF) wrangles have started involving the sponsors after the McDonald Mariga-led faction wrote to Safaricom seeking to half the launch of a grassroots tournament.

Mariga, who is leading a section of the FKF National Executive Committee that resolved to suspend president Hussein Mohammed last month over allegations of graft, is now digging in after his camp sought to stop the launch of the fifth edition of the Chapa Dimba tournament because it allegedly did not follow due process.

Safaricom, which sponsors the tournament, has been sucked into the boardroom wars at FKF with nine NEC members, who include Mariga, saying that the fifth edition is null and void as it has not been sanctioned by the federation’s highest decision-making body.

“Following the recent announcement and planned launch of Chapa Dimba Season 5, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) wishes to clarify that any agreement or partnership arrangement undertaken without the approval of the NEC is null, irregular and contrary to the provisions of the FKF Constitution which vests oversight and decision-making authority on all strategic, financial and partnership matters in the NEC,” reads a letter, signed by Mariga on behalf of the nine FKF NEC members, to the Safaricom CEO.

“As the supreme decision-making organ of the Federation, the NEC is mandated under the FKF Constitution to approve all binding commitments entered into on behalf of FKF. Accordingly, any such arrangements undertaken outside this framework falls short of the required governance standards and procedures.”

The FKF NEC Members have urged Safaricom to stop the launch of the tournament until it is fully approved by the federation’s executive.

“In light of the foregoing, we kindly urge restraint and emphasize the need for compliance with the FKF constitution and established approval process to ensure alignment with the federation’s governance framework,” the letter further states.

It is the latest twist in the turf warns being experienced at the top leadership of Kenyan football which is threatening to derail key programmes and initiatives.

Chapa Dimba is a grassroots tournament played annually around the country for both boys and girls and has seen the emergence of a number of players but with the current uncertainty, its future could be in jeopardy.

Safaricom reportedly invests Ksh400 million in the tournament with the federation believed to be receiving about Ksh50 million from the sum.