FIFA has issued a stern reminder to the Football Kenya Federation (FKF), emphasizing that a suspended member association forfeits all its rights. This comes as a warning to Kenya, following the disruption of this month’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) by a Mombasa Court, which could lead to the country’s suspension.
The statement by FIFA appears to hint at Kenya’s potential loss of hosting rights for this year’s Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) and the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. It serves as a timely caution from Zurich, suggesting that Kenya risks being stripped of these privileges.
In a letter directed to FKF’s Chief Executive Officer Barry Otieno, FIFA has urged for the AGM to be promptly rescheduled and a clear plan for this year’s elections to be outlined.
Less than a year and a half after the suspension was lifted, Kenya faces the prospect of isolation again, following the ousting of the current office by the former sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed.
“A suspended member association loses all its membership rights, as defined in art. 13 of the FIFA Statutes, with immediate effect and until further notice. Likewise, the representative teams as well as the affiliated clubs of this federation can no longer take part in international competitions until the suspension has been lifted,” stated FIFA’s Chief Member Associations Officer Kenny Jean-Marie in the letter.
The Federation had scheduled its AGM for the 16th of this month, but an injunction from the Mombasa High Court on the eve of the meeting halted the proceedings.
“The order of the Mombasa High Court dated 15 March 2024 appears to clearly amount to undue influence by third parties which could be considered as a violation of Article 19 paragraph 1 of the FIFA Statutes and Article 7 paragraph 1.g. of the CAF Statutes,” FIFA cautioned in its communication to the Federation.
