Kenyan government issues stern response after suspension from international football by FIFA

• Cabinet Secretary for Sports and Heritage Amina Mohammed released a scathing statement, hitting back at FIFA
• The football governing body recently suspended Kenya and Zimbabwe from international football due to government interference
• But the CS, in a letter, argued that FIFA was unwilling to engage with the government, yet the body expects the same government to fund football in the country

The Kenyan government has responded to the country’s suspension from international football.

Kenya and Zimbabwe were the two countries that were slapped with the ban, with FIFA saying the decision was arrived at due to government interference.

In a statement from the ministry released on Saturday, February 26, however, Cabinet Secretary for Sports Culture and Heritage Amb. Amina Mohamed said the government tried to engage FIFA about the decision to disband the Football Kenya Federation, but the football governing body was unwilling to listen.

“Apparently, FIFA does not relate to governments and stakeholders. It considers them a nuisance. FIFA however, still expects the same governments and stakeholders to fund football with no transparency and/or accountability in total disregard for national laws, institutions, values and practices,” the letter from the CS read.

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Football

The government tried unsuccessfully to communicate with FIFA even with respect to resources that FIFA and CAF quietly gives federations and which we suspected were not used as intended to no avail. It is now even suspected that in some cases there was double payment. We paid for activities and services that had already been paid for by CAF.

The CS went on to say that despite the ban, the government was still willing to engage to find a lasting solution to the current stand off with the FKF.

According to Amina, the federation, led by Nick Mwendwa, was crippling football in the country.

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As a result of the disbandment of the FKF, the Harambee Starlet’s hopes for qualifying for the women’s Africa Cup of Nations went out of the window after CAF banned the starlets, who were prepared to take on Uganda.

In the letter, CS Amina urged FIFA to reverse the decision to ban the starlets and also called on the football governing body to recognize the caretaker committee.