Hussein Mohammed: Why FIFA Has Blocked McDonald Mariga-Led Move to Suspend FKF President

The world football governing body, FIFA, has dismissed the suspension of Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Hussein Mohammed, acting General Secretary Dennis Gicheru, and National Executive Committee (NEC) member Abdulahi Yusuf Ibrahim, ruling the action unconstitutional.

In a letter sent to the FKF's National Executive Committee, FIFA clarified that the suspension of the three officials did not adhere to the procedures outlined in the FKF's own constitution.

The controversy began on April 24, 2026, when the FKF's NEC voted to suspend Hussein Mohammed, Gicheru, and Ibrahim. The decision was based on allegations of fraud related to the procurement of a Sh42.8 million insurance policy for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN).

The motion to suspend the trio was led by FKF Vice President McDonald Mariga and passed with the support of nine out of the 14 NEC members. The 2024 CHAN tournament was co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

In the correspondence signed by Elkhan Mammadov, FIFA’s Chief Member Associations Officer, the global governing body explicitly stated that the federation failed to prove the legality of their actions.

FIFA noted that previous requests "aimed at clarifying whether the measures in question were adopted in compliance with the FKF Constitution, have not been duly complied with."

Reviewing the documentation submitted by the factions within the NEC, the football body stated: "In particular, the information and documentation provided do not demonstrate that the applicable procedural requirements were respected. FIFA therefore categorically rejects the procedure that has been followed in this matter."

FIFA's directive emphasised that any forced attempt to make officials "step aside" falls under strict statutory guidelines.

The global body pointed out that Article 41 of the 2017 edition of the FKF Constitution strictly regulates the provisional dismissal or suspension of any member.

According to the letter, Article 41 requires that such measures be "duly proposed and justified, placed on the agenda and communicated to the members of the National Executive Committee, adopted in accordance with the applicable quorum and voting requirements, and preceded by affording the person concerned the right to be heard".

Demanding total adherence to these rules, FIFA wrote: "Any measure requiring an official to 'step aside', when imposed as a mandatory act rather than undertaken voluntarily, can only be understood as a form of provisional suspension within the meaning of Article 41 of the FKF Constitution.

"As such, it must strictly comply with the substantive and procedural safeguards expressly stipulated therein. These requirements are neither discretionary nor optional; they constitute fundamental guarantees of due process, legality and institutional integrity and cannot be set aside by reference to alternative practices or extraordinary considerations."

Because the McDonald Mariga-led push failed to align with constitutional pathways, FIFA declared the suspension null and void.

"On this basis, and without prejudice to any assessment of the underlying issues themselves, FIFA is not in a position to recognise decisions taken by certain members of the National Executive Committee that were not adopted in full compliance with Article 41 and the related procedural provisions of the FKF Constitution. Actions taken outside the clearly defined statutory framework cannot produce valid legal effects within the association," the letter categorically stated.

Warning the NEC against hasty decisions that risk throwing Kenyan football back into chaos, FIFA recalled past periods of "institutional instability".