Mariga Says Hit Squad Targeted Him at Violent FKF Meeting in Meru

Macdonald Mariga claims he was the prime target at a chaotic Football Kenya Federation meeting in Meru. The Special General Meeting took place on Saturday, November 7, 2026. Mariga spoke on a local radio station on November 14. He has since been expelled from the federation's National Executive Committee.

Mariga says his supporters were pelted with stones and driven from the venue. He claims armed youths took over the hall and surrounding grounds in the early hours. Police later moved in to break up the crowd.

He defended his decision to arrive under tight police protection. Officers, he says, warned that his life was at risk. "I was the target," he said. He described intelligence reports that armed thugs were hunting him, and claimed a message was spreading that he should not leave the meeting alive.

The former vice president also spoke about the teargas that filled the hall. He said he tried to reach a gathering convened by FIFA and CAF observers. He accused Hussein Mohammed of chasing him away. Mariga blamed Hussein's officers for firing the gas at delegates.

The General Assembly later expelled seven NEC members. Mariga was among them. The others are Kerubo Momanyi, Dan Shikanda, Gabriel Mghendi, Collins Opiyo Kalee, Robert Macharia, and Bernard Lagat. The federation said the seven remain liable to sanctions from its judicial bodies, CAF, and FIFA.

The row has been brewing since April. On April 24, nine NEC members turned on Hussein, Acting General Secretary Dennis Gicheru, and Abdullahi Yusuf Ibrahim. Mariga's camp accused them of mishandling insurance cover worth about Ksh42.48 million for the 2024 African Nations Championship. The NEC suspended the three officials, named Mariga acting president, and called for a forensic audit and a freeze on federation accounts.

Hussein's camp rejected the suspension and questioned the NEC's authority. The Sports Disputes Tribunal issued temporary orders blocking enforcement. FIFA then started checking whether the NEC had followed the constitution. It requested records on the meeting's convening, quorum, voting, and whether the accused were allowed to respond. That scrutiny effectively stalled Mariga's push for the top job.

The High Court in Siaya has now suspended all outcomes of the Meru meeting. The order will remain in place until the case is heard and decided.