EXCLUSIVE: Calls intensify for suspended FKF president Hussein Mohammed to resign
Mohammed faced suspension from NEC members over claims of financial wrongdoing during his leadership. This move also required NEC member Abdullahi Yussuf Ibrahim and acting CEO Dennis Gicheru to step down pending probes into the accusations.
Sources indicate the issue arose from a costly insurance deal for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), jointly organised by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania starting February 25th.
Details suggest FKF granted a contract valued at KSh 42,406,815 to a newly formed firm, overlooking bids from established insurance providers that were more favourable.
Ex FKF President Sam Nyamweya and Kakamega Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula are among voices pressing Mohammed to withdraw temporarily for the sake of inquiries.
Shimanyula fiercely criticised the serious corruption linked to the CHAN event's insurance setup.
‘CHAN controversy brings disgrace’
“This affair goes beyond a mere money mishandling, it represents a profound betrayal of every Kenyan player, supporter, and partner who poured effort, enthusiasm, and funds into growing our beloved sport,” Shimanyula stated to Flashscore.
“The misuse and supposed redirection of insurance money intended to safeguard athletes and staff insults the core values of proper management. It amounts to crime. It is disgraceful, and it shall face opposition.
“I urge all appropriate authorities, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), and CAF to launch a thorough, open, and unbiased probe, ensuring those responsible face the maximum legal consequences.”
Shimanyula went on: ”Let us be straightforward with Kenyans: Hussein (Mohammed) did not secure the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Presidency through talent, strategy, or a solid growth strategy for our football.
“He was advanced methodically and intentionally by groups motivated solely by desires for wealth, influence, and control over football's budget.
“The architects of his ascent viewed the FKF not as a guardian of Kenya's sporting legacy, but as a resource to exploit. The role was merely a tool for profit, harming our athletes, youth programmes, officials, and representative sides.
“The CHAN insurance issue is the unavoidable outcome of avarice sown well before the vote. We cautioned. Numerous voices raised alarms. Yet those alerts were dismissed.”
Shimanyula targets election voters
The vocal Shimanyula, a candidate in the FKF polls that installed Mohammed, added that the electors, tasked with selecting guides, prioritised cash over strategy.
“I speak frankly and unreservedly to the voters in the FKF elections,” Shimanyula declared.
“You held a vital duty in Kenyan athletics, the authority to select guides who would mould the destiny of our national game.
“Options with clear growth strategies, community investment initiatives, facility ideas, and open budgeting systems were laid out for you.
“The fleeting appeal of bribery cash has yielded the enduring shame of a graft case that has shamed Kenya across Africa and the worldwide football arena.
“The harm to FKF's image and Kenyan football's standing defies simple financial calculation.”
Shimanyula further noted: “I urge voters henceforth to fulfil their vital voting duty with honesty, national pride, and true dedication to the game, rather than personal finances.
“The young ones kicking balls without shoes on rough fields nationwide merit more than the guides chosen by their seniors.”
Shimanyula ended by insisting on a complete detailed review of all CHAN insurance finances and prompt release of results to everyone, the halting pending probe of all FKF staff involved in the CHAN insurance matter.
He also pressed CAF and FIFA for separate checks on FKF's money management systems, and legal action against anyone proven to have wrongly taken or deceitfully gained sports funds.
Nyamweya pressed Mohammed to work together amid the situation and guarantee an orderly handover of duties plus an open method that benefits Kenyan football overall.
Mohammed assumed control of FKF on December 8th, 2024, following his electoral victory.