Inside Mariga’s affidavit & what it says about CHAN scandal

By Mark Kinyanjui 

Beleaguered Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Hussein Mohammed is under more scrutiny after an explosive 63-page replying affidavit filed by his deputy McDonald Mariga to the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) detailed the financial secrecy and "parallel governance” allegedly  at the heart of the KSh.42.7 million CHAN 2024 insurance scandal.

The document,which was seen by Citizen Digital, paints a picture of a federation where a single signatory system allowed for millions of shillings in public and donor funds to be managed without approval by the National Executive Committee (NEC).

According to Mariga’s testimony, a stunning claim was made over the FKF-CAF Ecobank account, which served as the primary vehicle for funds related to the tournament/

Mariga alleges that Mohammed effectively bypassed the NEC and the Finance Committee by making himself the sole signatory to the account.

The former Harambee Stars midfielder further claims that the arrangement sidelined him, as well as Finance chair Luthers Mokua from monitoring transactions, including the controversial KES 42.7 million payment to Riskwell Insurance Brokers Ltd.

"The 1st Interested Party [Hussein Mohammed] has operated the federation accounts with opaque unilateralism," the affidavit reads.

Mariga further reveals that repeated calls by the NEC to have an overview of transactions went unanswered.  As per the affidavit, the accused trio, comprising the President, CEO Dennis Gicheru, and Abdullahi Yusuf Ibrahim, failed to establish mandatory oversight bodies.

FKF currently operates without an Audit and Compliance Committee, an Ethics Committee and a functional Emergency Committee.

Mariga claims that any attempt to bring these committees to life proved futile, with key decision making left purely in the hands of very few officials, including Mohammed and Yusuf, who he claims has become the “de facto Vice President”.

The 'Sh42m ghost' and AFCON 2027

The NEC faction insisted that their resolution in April 2024 to have the three implicated members “step aside” was purely an act of “national interest."

The affidavit highlights that the engagement of Riskwell Insurance - an entity that was created just 40 days before the start of CHAN 2024 - was not licensed by the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA), which has placed Kenya’s reputation on the brink.

"Kenya’s ability to host AFCON 2027 is at risk not because of infrastructure, but because of a crisis of integrity," the affidavit warns.

The NEC, through Mariga - who is the second respondent - maintains that the suspension was made as a “precautionary measure” to prevent the destruction of evidence and the intimidation of witnesses during upcoming forensic audits.

Mariga accuses Mohammed of ‘forum shopping”

Within hours of the NEC’s resolution, the President’s team mobilised 48 branch chairmen, with Mohammed even taking to his X -formerly Twitter- account to make the announcement on Sunday, April 26.

According to Mariga, Mohammed mobilised the chairmen  through “financial inducements”, allegedly paying each an allowance of KSh. 55,000 to sign a statement of support.

The affidavit further accuses the President’s side of "forum shopping"—the practice of filing multiple cases in different courts to find a favorable ruling.

Mariga points to the parallel case in the Kiambu High Court as a strategic move to "render the Tribunal’s proceedings nugatory" and stall the investigations into the Riskwell accounts.

What you need to know ahead of May 19

The SDT extended its interim orders to halt the suspension of Mohammed to May 19. For now, Hussein remains in office under these conservatory orders.

Mariga’s affidavit has ensured that the missing millions, as well as claims of Mohammed being the “sole signatory” remain at the forefront in the battle for Kandada House.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has already begun its inquiry, and with FIFA demanding a full justification for the NEC's actions, the "KSh.42M ghost" continues to haunt the hallways of the federation.