FIFA and CAF probe FKF leadership change after Mohammed suspension

FIFA has asked Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to submit documents explaining how and why its national executive committee moved to suspend president Hussein Rashid Mohammed and two other senior officials, triggering a joint assessment with CAF.The intervention puts scrutiny on FKF’s internal governance at a time when the federation is managing relationships with government, commercial partners and international bodies linked to event hosting and development funding.FIFA said the review is intended to establish “a clear and accurate understanding” of the circumstances around the resolution and whether it complied with FKF statutes.The resolution, adopted around April 24, required Mohammed, acting general secretary Dennis Gicheru and NEC member Abdullahi Yusuf Ibrahim to step aside on a provisional basis pending investigations into alleged financial impropriety.FIFA’s letter, dated April 26 and addressed to FKF NEC members, sought detail on how the emergency meeting was convened, whether quorum and voting requirements were met and whether the affected officials were given the right to be heard under FKF rules.It also requested a written justification and supporting material including notices, agenda papers, attendance records, voting outcomes and any correspondence or reports relied on by the NEC.FIFA set a May 1 deadline for the federation to submit the information and said CAF is conducting a parallel assessment, signalling potential consequences if procedural safeguards are judged to have been breached.FKF has indicated that vice-president McDonald Mariga is acting as interim leader while the matter is reviewed, and reported steps include freezing certain bank accounts linked to the suspended officials in their federation capacity and appointing an independent auditor.The dispute centres on an insurance arrangement linked to Kenya’s hosting of the African Nations Championship, with allegations focused on the handling of around 42 million Kenyan shillings.Mohammed has rejected the claims and challenged the legitimacy of the NEC process, saying: “The procurement of the insurance for CHAN 2025 was conducted within the framework of the CAF host agreement. We state categorically that the required insurance cover was procured by CAF, not myself, and was duly secured and maintained throughout the tournament, contrary to the malicious reports.”He also said: “FKF did not transfer or pay money to any insurance company for the CHAN competition, and I can challenge anyone to provide evidence that FKF paid the money. There was no loss of money in relation to the insurance cover.”The case matters commercially because FIFA and CAF interventions can disrupt banking arrangements, procurement and the signing authority required to execute contracts, while also creating uncertainty for suppliers and partners working with the federation.It also lands as Kenya steps up preparations for AFCON 2027, which they are due to co-host with Uganda and Tanzania, where delivery milestones on infrastructure and operational planning rely on stable federation leadership and clear lines of accountability.Next steps hinge on the documents submitted to FIFA and CAF and whether the bodies accept FKF’s process and interim governance arrangements, with the outcome likely to shape who controls federation decision-making ahead of upcoming tournament planning deadlines.