Mariga accepts FKF acting president role and gives way forward
By Luke Oluoch, April 25, 2026Football Kenya Federation Vice President McDonald Mariga has agreed to take up the role of acting president as proposed by a section of the FKF National Executive Committee (NEC) members amid ongoing claims of financial impropriety and breaches of procurement laws against his boss, Hussein Mohammed.
In a statement on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at Nyayo National Stadium, Mariga, in the company of seven NEC members, acknowledged the gravity of the accusations levelled against the federation’s head.
“To ensure continuity of operations, the NEC has mandated me to take up the role of acting president, which mandate I have accepted and assumed with immediate effect,” part of his statement read.
Mariga on Hussein’s suspension
He further welcomed the commencement of investigations by relevant bodies and authorities, as he vowed to respect and accord full support to the processes.
“We welcome these processes and respectfully urge the respective bodies to fast-track their inquiries to ensure timely accountability, preserve public confidence, and facilitate the swift restoration of integrity within the Football Kenya Federation.”
In a fresh twist, moments after Hussein Mohammed called the resolution null and void, his deputy, Mariga, upheld the resolution, putting a different complexion on the entire proceedings.
Convening NEC Meeting
As part of his first action plan, Mariga revealed that an urgent NEC meeting is planned to address these matters, freeze relevant accounts, and review existing contracts.
“Consequently, an urgent NEC meeting will be convened as soon as reasonably possible. Further, necessary steps shall be taken to preserve evidence, including the freezing of relevant accounts and a review of all existing contracts.”
He also reaffirmed that the FKF will remain open to investigations and transparent in its affairs. Mariga assured FKF sponsors and stakeholders that there will be no leadership vacuum.
“We reaffirm our commitment to transparency, accountability, and the rule of law, and call upon all stakeholders, partners, and the public to remain calm and support the ongoing process aimed at restoring trust and integrity in Kenyan football. We want to assure all our partners that there is no vacuum and the FKF shall honour all our obligations in full. Specifically, we want to assure our Premier League partner SportPesa, our Premier League broadcast partner Azam, and all our other partners that we shall continue with the partnerships as per our contracts,” his statement continued.