Football Kenya Federation (FKF) vice-president McDonald Mariga and four National Executive Council (NEC) members have renewed calls for dialogue to resolve the federation’s leadership impasse, accusing president Hussein Mohamed’s camp of sidelining elected officials and undermining established structures.
Speaking at a press conference in Hurlingham on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, hours after Mohamed addressed the media in Lang’ata, Mariga, Collins Kalee, Gabriel Mghendi, Kerubo Momanyi and Dan Shikanda insisted they remained willing to engage the president, but warned that the latest developments had further eroded trust between the two factions.
The parallel press conferences underscored how far the rival camps remain from finding common ground, despite previous calls by FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the federation’s leadership to work together.
Mariga’s faction explained that it would welcome intervention from FIFA or CAF to help resolve the dispute, but rejected the idea of a Normalisation Committee, maintaining that dialogue within the federation remained the preferred solution.
“We are willing to work,” said Mariga, recalling that FIFA and CAF officials had urged the two sides to co-operate during a visit to Kenya several months ago.
“Some of us are sidelined. FIFA insisted we have to work together, and we are willing to work.”
The former Harambee Stars captain accused the current administration of stripping elected NEC members of their responsibilities, citing his own experience as youth chairman.
“I’m the youth chair, but I do nothing for the youth. My roles have been taken. I’m just there by name,” he disclosed, expressing frustration over stalled proposals for an Under-17 league and limited preparation for national teams.
Mariga also questioned the federation’s handling of national team preparations, saying inadequate international friendlies had hurt performance and that efforts to recruit Kenyan-heritage players abroad had inexplicably stalled.
Kalee, the NEC representative from Nyanza, added the dispute had deepened after a consultative meeting with Mohamed failed to proceed as agreed.
He claimed the members had agreed to resume discussions the following morning before holding an official NEC meeting, but were subsequently informed that the formal meeting would proceed instead.
Kalee said several contentious matters, including the appointment of the general secretary, constitutional issues, committee appointments and the budget, remained unresolved.
He accused unnamed individuals around the president of frustrating reconciliation efforts and portraying dissenting members as obstacles to football development.
“We are still available. There is still room for talking,” observed Kalee, adding that electoral questions and proposals for a special general meeting could only be addressed through dialogue.
Mghendi raised concerns over the tenure of general secretary Dennis Gicheru, claiming his term had expired on August 6 and questioning his continued involvement in federation affairs.
He said the uncertainty surrounding the office had created anxiety among NEC members and called for a clear administrative framework.
Momanyi, who chairs the FKF Women's Football Committee, meanwhile, questioned the budget-making process, alleging that standing committees had been bypassed and NEC members were being asked to approve figures they could not adequately justify.
She warned that the federation had a responsibility to account for public funds and protect its officials from being held accountable for expenditure they had not properly scrutinised.
Shikanda delivered the sharpest criticism, accusing the administration of dismantling committees, promoting poor governance and concentrating decision-making among a small group.
He insisted the dispute was not about personal rivalries but about accountability and protecting football structures ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which Kenya will co-host.
“We are saying no to bad governance, reckless governance and nepotism in football,” said Shikanda.
Despite the accusations, the faction maintained that the door remained open for talks, leaving the responsibility for a breakthrough on both sides as uncertainty continues to cloud the federation's leadership and preparations for upcoming competitions.
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