Published on August 24, 2024 by Kenn Okaka
Last Updated on 2 years by Kenn Okaka
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) held its Special General Meeting, marking the opening stage of preparations for the upcoming federation elections. Muranga Seals vice chairman Hussein Mohammed has shown interest in vying for the seat of FKF President, and his bid received a boost when the congress at the SGM voted to amend the FKF 2019/2020 Electoral Code.
During the SGM held in Nairobi on Saturday, August 24, 2024, 89 delegates—including representatives from the 45 FKF Branches, 18 FKF Premier League teams, 10 FKF National Super League teams, 3 FKF Women Premier League teams, 2 FKF Women National Super League teams, and 10 FKF Division One League teams—all unanimously voted to amend the FKF Electoral Code on eligibility in a bid to make the elections more inclusive.
Tusker FC Chairman Charles Gacheru proposed amendments to the code to align with recommendations from the Sports Dispute Tribunal (SDT) during the last elections, which criticized the current code for being non-inclusive and making the elections appear like a mere coronation of the incumbent. The Tribunal had raised concerns about the eligibility criteria outlined in the code, deeming it restrictive and contrary to the principles of fair competition.
According to the newly amended code, candidates seeking election are now required to have been actively involved in football—whether as an NEC member, committee member, referee, coach, or in any other technical, medical, or administrative role within FKF, a league, or a club—for two of the last five years preceding their candidacy. Under the 2019-20 FKF Electoral Code, candidates were required to have been actively involved in football for three of the four years preceding their candidacy.
However, questions have been raised about whether Hussein Mohammed will be eligible to vie for the position after FKF only acknowledged his membership in Muranga Seals in July 2024. It will be up to Muranga Seals to prove whether Hussein has been their member for the last two years or if he was recently recruited solely for the purpose of the elections.
Hussein, who is the founder of the defunct Super 8 grassroots tournament, is not known to have been a member of any FKF affiliate or club over the years, and his vice-chairman position at Muranga Seals only came to public knowledge in March this year. How then will Muranga Seals, who have been filing their documents for the purposes of club licensing every year, prove that Hussein was all along their member, despite his name not being included in their register?
During the SGM, both Hussein, sitting in for Muranga Seals, and his club chairman Robert Macharia, who is also the FKF Muranga County Chairman, supported the amendments, even attracting a comment from FKF President Nick Mwendwa, who said, “Muranga is now happy his amendment has been passed.”
Muranga Seals was only promoted to the FKF Premier League in the 2023/24 season. Prior to that, during their competition in the lower-division National Super League, Hussein was never mentioned as a member of the club until the election year came, and he had to seek membership. In a letter dated August 19, 2024, FKF acknowledged that Hussein Mohammed is a registered member of Muranga Seals and was enrolled in the club through the Club Licensing Online Platform (CLOP) on July 25, 2024.
Muranga Seals nominated Hussein to represent the club at the Annual General Meeting in March, but the nomination was declined as Hussein was not found in the register of both FKF and Muranga Seals.
