Why FKF’s days were numbered after litany of allegations

In a bid to streamline the management of football, fresh details have emerged on how the government set up an interim committee to ran the affairs of Football Kenya Federation (FKF).

Amid allegations of misappropriation of funds and abuse of office levelled against FKF president Mwendwa and his CEO Barry Otieno, Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed with a single blow, flexed her muscles yesterday and disbanded the federation.

She formed a 13-member FKF Caretaker Committee chaired by  retired Justice Aaron Ringera.

They begin work immediately and will be in operation for not more than six months pending election to form a fresh federation office.

Police last evening moved in to seal FKF’s Kandanda House headquarters in Nairobi.

FKF president Nick Mwendwa confirmed he and other federation officials had been denied access to the offices based at Kasarani.

Amina disbanded the federation upon recommendation of an inspection committee constituted by the Registrar of Sports Rose Wasike.

The probe recommended the current FKF officials be removed from office, a caretaker committee be constituted, and DCI and other government arms investigate further the financial matters of the federation with a view of bringing anybody found to have misappropriated funds to book.

Amina said her actions  had “been successful in other jurisdictions in recent years, the likes of Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, and Chad amongst others.”

Mwendwa, immediately called out the government’s action charging he was still in charge of running  football in the country.

 Addressing a press briefing at the La Mada hotel in Nairobi last evening, the embattled football boss also advised all footballers, coaches, and referees to reject Amina's proposals as the country awaits a directive from football's world governing body Fifa.

"The action is illegal. I do not see what I have done wrong," said Mwendwa.

"We reject this Committee. We rebuke it. We have not been found guilty of anything. We have updated Fifa as required. In the coming hours, they shall advise on the way forward. Any football member should ignore that committee and instructions from FKF. We will manage Harambee Stars game against Rwanda on Monday."

But as Mwendwa fights back, Nation Sport has established that Amina, flanked by her Principal Secretary Joe Okudo, inspired by a hue and cry from the public that greeted Harambee Stars poor performances in the past year, made a decision to institute changes at FKF two months ago.

Amina first wrote to Fifa president Gianni Infantino detailing what she described as the dire state of the sport in the country coupled with Harambee Stars' poor performance.

She then directed the Sports Registrar to conduct an audit of the federation's books and records.

At yesterday’s press conference to announce her decision, Amina said she had updated Fifa on all along.

“In accordance with Article 17 and 58 of the Fifa Code of Ethics, I would like to share the recommendations with your Investigative Chamber.  The report itself raises a lot of concern,” Amina wrote to Maria Cladia Rojas, chair man of the Investigatory Chamber of the Fifa Ethics Committee.

The FKF Caretaker Committee begin their work immediately.

The government has already established a secretariat for the committee and also appointed a team to work in the office.

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