Mariga rejects dismissal of FKF NEC members, insists they are in office

In a press statement issued on Monday, November 9, on behalf of the affected officials, Mariga accused sections of the FKF leadership of deliberately excluding elected leaders and accredited Congress delegates from the meeting, arguing that the proceedings violated the federation's constitution.

The seven NEC members, alongside 32 accredited Congress delegates, were allegedly denied access to the meeting venue at Three Steers Hotel in Meru.

Mariga described the developments as a deliberate attempt to silence leaders who have consistently advocated for accountability, transparency and good governance within the federation.

At the centre of the dispute is Article 41(4) and (5) of the FKF Constitution, which outlines the procedures for dismissing officials serving in the federation's governing bodies. Mariga maintains that the affected officials were denied their constitutional right to defend themselves before the decision to remove them was reached.

He further argues that the dismissal resolutions were adopted through acclamation rather than a secret ballot, contrary to Article 41(5), which expressly provides for a secret ballot and requires a two-thirds majority of valid votes for a dismissal motion to pass.

The affected officials have also questioned the credibility of the meeting's attendance register, raising concerns over alleged impersonation and the participation of individuals they claim were not duly authorised to represent legitimate FKF members.

According to Mariga, the exclusion of the 32 accredited delegates, coupled with the alleged irregularities in delegate representation, raises questions about whether the meeting attained the required quorum and voting threshold to validate the resolutions.

The statement also references FIFA's intervention in May 2026, which Mariga says emphasised the importance of respecting Article 41 and its due-process safeguards, particularly the right of officials to be heard regardless of their positions or the nature of allegations against them.

The controversy follows Saturday's SGM, during which the FKF General Assembly resolved to remove Mariga and six other NEC members over alleged serious and repeated violations of the federation's constitution and applicable FIFA regulations.

The other affected officials are Central NEC representative Robert Kenneth Macharia, Upper Rift Valley representative Bernard Korir Lagat, FKF Women's representative Violet Kerubo Momanyi, Nyanza NEC representative Collins Opiyo Kalee, Coast representative Gabriel Mghendi and Nairobi representative Daniel Akala Shikanda.

FKF maintained that the decision followed deliberations on several matters, including an alleged NEC resolution dated April 24, 2026, seeking the removal of the federation's president and other officials, repeated failure by some members to attend duly convened NEC meetings and unauthorised communication on behalf of the federation.

The federation cited Articles 16 and 24 of its constitution as the basis for the General Assembly's decision, maintaining that it had exercised its mandate as the organisation's supreme decision-making body.

However, Mariga and the affected officials have rejected the resolutions, insisting that they remain in office and that their elected mandates cannot be terminated through a process they consider unconstitutional.

They have consequently called on FIFA, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Sports Registrar to urgently scrutinise the Meru proceedings, particularly delegate credentials, attendance records, quorum and the voting process.

The group has also indicated that it reserves the right to pursue all available constitutional remedies to challenge the resolutions.

Mariga maintains that their position is not about protecting individual offices but safeguarding FKF as an institution and defending the constitutional rights of its members.

He has vowed that the affected officials will not abandon their push for accountability and good governance, insisting that the federation's constitution must take precedence over individual interests.

The dispute now places the outcome of the Meru SGM under further scrutiny, with the affected officials seeking intervention from football governing bodies and the Sports Registrar over the legality of the resolutions.