The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Special General Meeting (SGM) in Meru has resulted in a major shake-up of the federation’s leadership, with delegates voting to expel Vice-President McDonald Mariga and six other National Executive Committee (NEC) members over alleged constitutional violations.
The November 7 meeting, convened to address growing governance concerns within the federation, was initially disrupted by a police operation that saw officers from the Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU) enter the venue and fire tear gas, forcing delegates to temporarily flee.
The disruption attracted the attention of FIFA and Confederation of African Football (CAF) representatives, who held discussions with FKF President Hussein Mohammed and Acting General Secretary Dennis Gicheru before the meeting eventually proceeded.
At the conclusion of the deliberations, delegates voted overwhelmingly to expel the seven officials, with Mariga losing both his position as Vice-President and NEC membership following a 65–1 vote.
The other six officials were Robert Kenneth Macharia (Central), Gabriel Mghendi (Coast), Collins Opiyo Kalee (Nyanza), Bernard Korir Lagat (Upper Rift Valley), Violet Kerubo Momanyi (Women’s Representative) and Daniel Akala Shikanda (Nairobi).
The decisions followed consideration of allegations of serious and repeated breaches of the FKF Constitution and applicable FIFA regulations.
The officials were also accused of actions deemed contrary to the federation’s Constitution and applicable football regulations, raising questions about their conduct and adherence to established governance procedures.
The voting results were as follows:
- McDonald Mariga – 65 in favour, 1 against.
- Robert Kenneth Macharia – 65 in favour, 1 against.
- Gabriel Mghendi – 65 in favour, 1 against.
- Collins Opiyo Kalee – 64 in favour, 2 against.
- Bernard Korir Lagat – 64 in favour, 2 against.
- Violet Kerubo Momanyi – 64 in favour, 1 against.
- Daniel Akala Shikanda – 65 in favour, 1 against.
FKF said the General Assembly exercised its authority under Articles 16 and 24 of the federation’s Constitution, which provide for the expulsion of members and dismissal of NEC officials.
The SGM was attended by FIFA and CAF representatives, Acting Sports Registrar Chacha J. Maroa and officials from the State Department for Sports.
The resolutions mark a significant turning point in FKF’s leadership dispute, with the federation now expected to address the resulting vacancies and administrative arrangements as it moves to implement the decisions of the General Assembly.
