Kenyan football has once again found itself at the centre of a major leadership dispute after a fresh confrontation emerged within the Football Kenya Federation (FKF), pitting senior officials against each other in a battle that is now before the Sports Disputes Tribunal.
At the centre of the standoff is FKF Vice President McDonald Mariga, who has moved to court seeking to stop disciplinary proceedings launched against him by the federation’s disciplinary committee.
The legal challenge, filed on May 27, has intensified tensions inside the federation and exposed widening cracks within Kenya’s football administration.
According to court filings, Mariga argues that the disciplinary process being used against him is irregular and unlawful. His lawyers claim the proceedings violate the regulations and constitutional procedures governing FKF operations.
The case lists the FKF Disciplinary Committee as the main respondent, while the FKF Migori Branch has been included as an interested party.
The dispute has also drawn in several senior football officials. A disciplinary committee member identified as Boru has been cited both personally and as an authorised representative of the committee. Daniel Ochola Ochali, who serves as the Secretary of the FKF Migori Branch, has also been named in the matter, highlighting how the disagreement has spread beyond the federation’s national offices into regional football leadership structures.
The disciplinary action against Mariga followed a controversial move by a section of FKF National Executive Committee members who attempted to suspend FKF President Hussein Mohammed, Acting General Secretary Dennis Gicheru, and NEC member Abdulahi Yusuf Ibrahim over allegations linked to a Ksh42.8 million fraud scandal.
The allegations centred on claims of irregular procurement involving an insurance policy connected to the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), which Kenya co-hosted.
On April 24, nine out of the federation’s fourteen NEC members voted in favour of suspending the three officials and temporarily installing Mariga as acting president, a move that immediately triggered sharp divisions within FKF.
Following that decision, Mariga was slapped with four proposed disciplinary charges. These included conduct considered prejudicial to football interests, bringing the game into disrepute, abuse of office, and failure to act in the federation’s best interests.
The situation took another dramatic turn after FIFA intervened through a letter dated May 27. FIFA dismissed the attempted suspensions and ruled that the Mariga-led faction had failed to comply with Article 41 of the FKF Constitution.
The intervention has now left FKF facing a deepening governance crisis at a sensitive moment for Kenyan football. With internal divisions continuing to grow, concerns are rising over the stability of football administration in the country ahead of key continental competitions.
