FKF president Mohammed Hussein with his deputy, MacDonald Mariga during a past media briefing/HANDOUT
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has been cleared of wrongdoing over allegations of procurement irregularities and misappropriation of funds relating to insurance services for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN).
The reprieve came after the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) terminated its investigation, ruling that it lacked jurisdiction because the transaction was financed entirely through Confederation of African Football (CAF) funds and did not involve any Kenyan public resources.
The investigation had been triggered by complaints alleging irregular procurement practices, conflict of interest and misuse of funds in relation to CHAN 2024 insurance arrangements undertaken by FKF.
However, after reviewing explanations submitted by the federation, PPRA concluded that the engagement of Riskwell Insurance Brokers Limited fell outside the scope of Kenya's public procurement laws.
According to the regulator, the procurement process was conducted under CAF guidelines and funded through a CAF-controlled account.
“The procurement process for the CHAN 2024 insurance arrangements, under which M/s Riskwell Insurance Brokers Limited was engaged, was undertaken within the framework of the CAF Procurement Guidelines and funded through a CAF-controlled account,” the authority stated.
PPRA further found that no Kenyan taxpayer money had been used in the transaction.
“No public funds appropriated by Parliament, county governments, or any Kenyan public entity were utilised in the procurement process. All funds utilised originated from CAF and were administered in accordance with CAF's financial and procurement procedures,” the ruling reads.
The authority also acknowledged FKF's arguments on the autonomy of football governing bodies under FIFA and CAF statutes, which require member associations to independently manage their affairs free from third-party interference.
The issue had attracted attention amid concerns that intervention by state agencies in football matters could potentially expose Kenya to sanctions from FIFA, which prohibits undue government interference in the management of national associations.
While clarifying that FKF is not automatically classified as a public entity under Kenya's procurement laws, PPRA said any procurement activity involving public funds would still fall under its oversight mandate.
Having found no evidence that public funds were used in the insurance procurement, the authority formally closed the matter.
“In light of the response provided, the Authority finds that public funds were not utilised in the subject procurement. As such, the transaction is not governed by the Act, and the Authority has no jurisdiction to further investigate the concerns raised in the complaint,” the ruling stated.
The decision represents a significant administrative victory for FKF, which had consistently maintained that the insurance arrangements were undertaken in accordance with CAF regulations and financed exclusively through international football funds.
