FKF meeting in Meru expels Mariga and six officials amid police teargas

A Special General Meeting of the Football Kenya Federation in Meru voted to expel vice president McDonald Mariga and six other officials, and police used teargas as the event turned chaotic.

What happened

Police used teargas at a Football Kenya Federation (FKF) meeting in Meru that descended into chaos [1]. The Special General Meeting was held on Saturday, 7 November, and voted to expel FKF vice president McDonald Mariga and six other officials from the National Executive Committee (NEC) [3]. The meeting was presided over by FKF President Hussein Mohammed and was attended by representatives of FIFA, CAF and the government [2].

Mariga and NEC member Dan Shikanda dismissed the expulsion [2]. A contingent of police that had accompanied them was forced out of the venue after another group, led by Meru County Police Commander Moses Mutisya, arrived [2].

Why Kenyans are searching for it

The sources describe the meeting and the reactions to it, but they do not state why people are searching for it. The reporting covers the expulsion, the teargas and the competing accounts of who was allowed into the meeting.

Key facts

• The expulsion motion was approved by 65 delegates, with AFC Leopards chairman Boniface Ambani the only delegate to vote against it [3].
• Shikanda said the ouster was illegal and that genuine delegates were locked out [2].
• Shikanda said Mariga's attempt to appear before his accusers was thwarted once they were locked out of the grounds [2].
• Police fired tear gas canisters at the Three Steers Hotel as the event threatened to descend into chaos. The ousted NEC members then made an unsuccessful attempt to re-enter [2].
• Shikanda said none of the group had been hurt [2].
• Ambani said football should accommodate opposing opinions and that disagreements should not come at the expense of the game's development [3].

What to watch

The sources do not say whether the expulsion will be challenged further or what the federation will do next. Shikanda's claim that the ouster was illegal is his own position and has not been tested in the sources [2]. Ambani's call for the branches and the NEC to meet and agree on a way forward is also a view he expressed, not a decision [3].

Sources

1. [1] Police teargas delegates as FKF meeting descends into chaos in Meru - Daily Nation
2. [2] Ousted FKF members break silence after dismissal - The Standard
3. [3] AFC Leopards chairman Ambani explains his single vote against Mariga's ouster | Mozzart Sport Kenya - Mozzart Sport Kenya

Compiled by the NairobiCity trend desk from the sources above.