NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 15 – World governing body FIFA has for the second time asked Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina to re-think her decision of forming a caretaker committee to run the Football Kenya Federation.
In a letter addressed to the CS by Secretary General Fatma Samoura, FIFA have once again said they are ready for a round table discussion with to solve the impasse, saying that the move by the Government amounts to third party interference.
“Going forward, without prejudice to the allegations that have been raised and any potential trial for offences that may have been committed, FIFA and CAF are asking you to consider the reinstatement of the FKF executive committee as prior thereto,” the letter from Samoura reads in part.
It adds; “FIFA and CAF administrations are prepared to work closely with the FKF and your office representatives – as it has already been the case in the recent past – to normalise the situation.”
This is the second time that FIFA is addressing the issue, having already written a first letter through the Chief Member Associations Officer last Friday.
CS Amina has reiterated that the decision to disband the Federation and appoint a caretaker committee stands, with the Committee having already started work and announced a two-week break of all national leagues to allow for harmonization.
FKF boss Nick Mwendwa and his Secretary General Barru Otieno spent the weekend behind bars and are expected in court on Monday over allegation of misappropriation of monies forwarded to the Federation by the government.
Mwendwa was arrested Friday evening as he left the Harambee Stars team hotel at Safari Park while Otieno was arrested Saturday.
They were interrogated by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
Samoura in her letter has meanwhile reiterated that FIFA will not hesitate to ban FKF, and in extension Kenya, if the move by the CS remains.
“I must highlight that the appointment of a so-called “Caretaker Committee” by your office is undoubtedly contrary to our principles according to which all of our member associations, including the FKF, are required to manage their affairs independently and without undue influence of any third parties (cf. art. 14 par. 1 lit. i) and art. 19 par. 1 of FIFA Statutes).”
“This situation could therefore potentially lead to a suspension of the FKF by FIFA and, in such a case, it would be all of Kenyan football that would suffer the consequences,” Samoura said.
The Secretary General who was in the country two months ago has now said that her office is ready to organize a video conference between the two parties to try find a solution to the impasse.
Amina had written to FIFA president Gianni Infantino on the 18th of last month, stating that the Ministry was not pleased with how the Federation was being run and had called for an intervention.
