Nick Mwendwa's arrest: What we know

Nick Mwendwa

Football Kenya Federation President Nick Mwendwa in a press Conference at La Mada Hotel Nairobi on November 11, 2021.


Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • He was also asked to account for Sh21.3 million given to FKF for payment of coaches in the run up to the 2019 Afcon.
  • DCI officers said they will also summon FKF CEO Barry Otieno to shed light into the investigations.

Under-fire Football Kenya Federation boss Nick Mwendwa will spend the weekend behind bars after he was arrested by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations officers on Friday.

National Police Service spokesperson Bruno Shioso confirmed the arrest, with Mwendwa spending Friday afternoon at the DCI headquarters along Kiambu road where he was being grilled by detectives.

"He (Nick Mwendwa) is at Mazingira House where our detectives are interrogating him. We shall release a statement later," Shioso said.

Mwendwa left DCI headquarters Friday evening while still under the custody of officers and is being held at Gigiri Police Station.

Nation Sport understands that Mwendwa was grilled on how his federation spent millions advanced by the government over the years.

He will be taken to court on Monday and a miscellaneous application will be made to allow the DCI investigate alleged embezzlement of public funds.

Mwendwa was questioned specifically on how FKF spent Sh430 million advanced to FKF from 2016 by the Sports, Arts and Social Development for running football activities.

Additionally, Mwendwa was questioned on Sh244 million the state extended to the federation to prepare Harambee Stars for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations that was hosted by Egypt.

He was also asked to account for Sh21.3 million given to FKF for payment of coaches in the run up to the 2019 Afcon.

DCI officers said they will also summon FKF CEO Barry Otieno to shed light into the investigations.

This comes a day after Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed disbanded the federation and formed a 15-member caretaker committee.

World football governing body, Fifa, expressed concerns over a move by the government to disband the federation and install a caretaker committee to manage the game on an interim basis.