News Focus
- CAF President Patrice Motsepe lands in Nairobi for the Africa Forward Summit on May 11-12, 2026
- The South African billionaire will meet top Kenyan football officials amid a damaging power struggle at Football Kenya Federation headquarters
- FKF President Hussein Mohammed faces an ouster attempt by his deputy McDonald Mariga over alleged mismanagement of Ksh 42 million
- Courts have temporarily blocked Mariga’s faction from taking control, but the deadlock risks disrupting Kenya’s AFCON 2027 hosting duties
- The Local Organizing Committee for the tournament includes both rival leaders, raising fears that internal wars could delay stadium preparations
The head of African football, Patrice Motsepe, has arrived in Kenya for a two-day summit. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) president will attend the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi on Monday and Tuesday. However, his separate talks with local football bosses have caught the attention of the nation.
Kenya is currently in the middle of a serious leadership fight at the Football Kenya Federation (FKF). Last month, deputy president McDonald Mariga led a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) that removed Hussein Mohammed from the top job. The group accused Mohammed of losing Ksh 42 million in payments to an unlicensed brokerage firm. These funds were meant to cover licence fees for the recent Africa Nations Championships (CHAN), which Kenya co-hosted with Uganda and Tanzania.
Mohammed has refused to step down. He says the meeting was illegal because only the president can call NEC meetings under Article 38 of the FKF constitution. The former sports executive insists he remains the rightful leader of the federation. His position received support from the Sports Disputes Tribunal and the High Court, which both stopped Mariga’s group from acting on their decisions.
Despite these court orders, the two camps have spent recent weeks trying to outmanoeuvre each other. Both Mohammed and Mariga have issued competing orders and claimed control of federation operations. This public battle has created confusion across Kenyan football at a crucial time.
The country is preparing to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) alongside Uganda and Tanzania. This will be the biggest football tournament ever held in the region. The government has reformed the Local Organising Committee (LOC) to speed up work on stadiums and infrastructure. Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya expanded the Nicholas Musonye-led committee to include both Mohammed and Mariga, plus other NEC members.
Fans and stakeholders now hope that Motsepe’s visit will end the cold war between the rival factions. They want the leaders to focus on preparing the country for AFCON 2027 instead of fighting for control of FKF offices. The next few days could determine whether Kenyan football unites in time to deliver a successful tournament.