FIFA has formally written to the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) demanding urgent clarification over the suspension of its president, as a deepening financial scandal continues to shake the country’s football leadership.
The letter, sent on April 26 in coordination with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), confirms that world football’s governing body is now assessing whether due process was followed in the decision to suspend Hussein Rashid Mohammed and other senior officials.
The intervention follows an emergency meeting of the FKF National Executive Committee (NEC), which voted to provisionally remove Mohammed, acting CEO Dennis Gicheru, and NEC member Abdullahi Yusuf Ibrahim.
The crisis is an alleged N440 million (Ksh42.4 million) insurance scandal tied to arrangements for the CHAN Pamoja tournament.
NEC members cited suspected financial irregularities involving brokerage fees reportedly paid to a company said to be unlicensed a development that has raised serious concerns over governance and accountability within Kenyan football.
In response, the committee ordered sweeping measures, including the freezing of FKF accounts linked to the president in his official capacity and the launch of a full forensic audit covering funds from FIFA, CAF and Kenya’s Ministry of Sports.
Deputy president Macdonald Mariga was immediately installed as acting president, tasked with stabilising the federation during the ongoing investigations.
FIFA’s letter makes clear that its immediate focus is not the allegations themselves, but whether the federation adhered to its own statutes in reaching its decision.
The governing body has requested detailed documentation, including records of how the NEC meeting was convened, voting procedures, quorum requirements, and evidence that the affected officials were given an opportunity to respond before their suspension.
A deadline of May 1 has been set for FKF to submit the required documents, as FIFA and CAF seek to establish a clear picture of events.
The crisis has exposed divisions within the federation’s leadership, with nine of the 14 NEC members present at the meeting where the suspensions were approved.
FKF has defended its actions as necessary to protect the integrity of the game and restore public confidence.
But Hussein Rashid Mohammed has rejected the allegations, describing them as a targeted attempt to undermine his leadership.
“Once I started the process of cleaning house, it was inevitable that corruption would fight back,” he said.
With Macdonald Mariga now in interim charge, attention turns to the outcome of both the forensic audit and FIFA’s review.
An urgent follow up NEC meeting is expected as the federation seeks a path through a crisis that now carries both domestic and international consequences.
