By Mercy Achieng
A viral post on X (formerly Twitter) by sports commentator Ole Teya claims that Kenya’s Ministry of Sports has temporarily suspended the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) for the alleged misapplication of funds and failure to file financial returns. The post further states that the federation has been cut off from state funding and must now finance its operations independently, including the Harambee Stars’ local and international assignments. The claim is accompanied by an alleged image of the official Football Kenya Federation (FKF).
Background
On April 24, 2026, a nine-member faction of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) National Executive Committee (NEC) passed a resolution to force FKF President Hussein Mohamed to step aside. The suspension was triggered by an escalating KSh 42.4 million procurement and accountability scandal involving unregulated insurance brokerage fees wired for the African Nations Championship (CHAN).
The National Executive Committee (NEC) immediately attempted to install FKF Vice President McDonald Mariga as the interim acting President and ordered a total freeze on the federation’s bank accounts.
This Leadership purge by the executives was, however, effectively countered when FIFA stepped in to safeguard the constitutional status of the federation. Through the issuance of an administrative directive by the Chief Member Associations Officer for FIFA, Elkhan Mammadov, the international governing body categorically rejected the temporary suspension based on the illegality of the process of voting under Article 41 of the FKF Constitution.
To resolve the leadership tussle entirely between the rival sides of Hussein Mohamed and McDonald Mariga once and for all, FIFA and the Confederation of African Football imposed a complete organizational freeze on June 2, 2026, before the arrival of an international investigative team.
By the stringent non-intervention policy of FIFA, any direct action by the government to suspend a footballing association will automatically disqualify them from participating in international soccer competitions worldwide. The 2022 FIFA ban serves as a stark reminder of what is at stake, having previously locked Kenya’s national teams out of international competition.
Verification
To verify the claim, Piga Firimbi reviewed official communications from the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports website and social media pages, including X and Facebook, and found the Ministry had not issued any executive directive.
On June 4, 2026, Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya publicly dismissed the viral reports as fake. Clarifying that the government has not dissolved or suspended the federation.
On June 4, 2026, an official statement by the FKF President, Hussein Mohamed, asserted that the federation is functional and rumors of a supposed government takeover are entirely baseless.
“We will not be distracted from executing our mandate. Deliberately misleading the public is wrong and unacceptable; we will pursue all available remedies to protect our reputation,” FKF president Hussein Mohamed on X post.
An extensive search on Kenya’s mainstream media desks and sports sections on Pulse Sports, Citizen digital, revealed that journalists are reporting on Harambee Stars in South Africa and Fédération Internationale de Football Association( FIFA’s) interventionist efforts, but not on any government suspension of the Kenya Football Federation.
Verdict
The claim that Kenya’s Ministry of Sports has temporarily suspended the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) over the alleged misapplication of resources and failure to file financial returns is FALSE.
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