NAIROBI, Kenya, February 6, 2025 – After an audit report revealed a deep rot at Football Kenya Federation (FKF), which stinks to the highest heavens, the pertinent question from most stakeholders is ‘what is the way forward?’
While revealing the report, the result of a month-long investigation by an ad hoc committee chaired by vice president MacDonald Mariga, the federation president Hussein Mohammed said they would act on its recommendations.
One of the next steps he cited was to invite investigative agencies to examine just how deep the rot goes and, possibly, take legal action against those responsible.
The agencies, possibly the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), will seek to understand just how the federation operates 16 bank accounts, with no proper procedures
Furthermore, there is the ‘small matter’ of how FKF is mired in debts, totaling to approximately Ksh 384 million, some of it including salary arrears to employees.
However, the FKF supremo was careful not to jump the gun, saying it is too early to talk about suing some of the culprits – possibly from the former regime — responsible for the mess.
“I do not want to jump the gun by talking about that before the investigative agencies come in and do their work. It is still early to conclude that…we will first let the agencies do their work and then cross the bridge when we get there,” Hussein said.
Hussein swept to power on December 7 following a hotly contested elections that pitted him against then vice president Doris Petra, former FKF CEO Barry Otieno, Kakamega Homeboyz chair Cleophas ‘Toto’ Shimanyula and former Gor Mahia defender Sammy ‘Kempes’ Owino.
His predecessor, Nick Mwendwa, was Petra’s running mate on that occasion.
Having assumed office, the president formed the ad hoc transition committee to ensure seamless transition from the Mwendwa era,
However, following the findings, the transition will be anything but smooth.
Frustrated employees
One of the questions that Hussein had to answer at Wednesday’s press conference was reports that employees at Kandanda House have been penniless for a while.
Indeed, the president acknowledged that this was as a result of poor human resource (HR) practices, symptomised by ambiguous/fraudulent contracts, and lack of proper policies.
Hussein promised they are working overtime to settle the salary arrears.
“This is part of poor HR policies and the huge debt portfolio we have as a federation. That is why one of the committee’s recommendations is to streamline the HR processes and the salary grading system as well clearing our debt portfolio. Even as we do that, we are working to clear these arrears and will continue to do so as we have been doing,” he said.
Outside of Kandanda House there is no shortage of challenges for the federation, chief of which is referee manipulation and hooliganism.
These are challenges the president admits will require concerted efforts to uproot the tentacles.
“The committee has recommended the establishment of clear merit-based promotion policies for referees, a comprehensive code of conduct and an enhanced focus on training and capacity building to improve professionalism and initiate a legislative process to address match-fixing in the long term,” Hussein said.
The report is to be examined and validated by FKF’s national executive committee (NEC) before the detailed version of it is released to the public.
Undoubtedly, turbulent times lie ahead as Hussein and Co set out to implement the recommendations through a radical purge of the federation – inside and out.
Football lovers across the country and beyond will be watching to see the new regime walk the talk.
