The High Court in Kiambu has halted the ouster of Abdullahi Yusuf, an official of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF), amid a leadership dispute that threatens to shake up Kenya’s football management.
In the conservatory orders issued by Justice Bahati Mwamuye, the court barred FKF and its National Executive Committee from suspending, removing, frustrating, or interfering with Yusuf’s role until the case is fully heard and decided.
The court also ordered that any decisions already made against him be immediately suspended, effectively restoring the previous status quo. This move sets the stage for a fierce legal showdown over the governance of Kenyan football.
According to court documents, Yusuf filed the petition arguing that resolutions allegedly passed during an FKF National Executive Committee meeting on April 24, 2026, were unlawful, unconstitutional, and arrived at through an unfair process.
In the petition, filed through Danstan Omari & Associates Advocates, Yusuf claimed he was neither notified of the meeting nor provided with the agenda, allegations, evidence, minutes, attendance records, or the reasons behind the resolutions that supposedly directed him to step aside from his leadership role.
The petition further alleges that these disputed resolutions went beyond administrative changes and involved interference with FKF accounts and alterations to the signing mandate of the federation’s ousted president. Yusuf argues that these actions have caused instability and uncertainty within FKF.
Court papers state that such actions violate constitutional provisions on fair administrative action, fair hearing, access to information, dignity, equality before the law, and fair labor practices.
While addressing journalists outside Milimani Law Courts, lawyers Danstan Omari and Martina Swiga described the ruling as a significant victory for constitutionalism, fairness, and accountability in sports institutions.
Omari emphasized that sports federations cannot operate outside the law or ignore due process, especially when dealing with elected officials. Swiga added that the conservatory orders were necessary to maintain stability within FKF as the court investigates the legality of the contested resolutions.
She stressed that the matter is not just about an individual dispute but raises serious concerns about governance, transparency, and adherence to the rule of law in Kenyan football administration.In his petition, Yusuf accuses the FKF National Executive Committee of acting improperly, irrationally, illegally, and in bad faith.
He claims they condemned him without giving him a chance to defend himself and made punitive decisions without due process. Yusuf is seeking orders to quash the resolutions of April 24, restore his office and mandates, and declare that the decisions violated the Constitution and the Fair Administrative Action Act.
The court also directed Yusuf to serve all parties with the application and petition by April 29. The respondents and interested parties, including the Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, are expected to file their responses by May 8. Further directions are scheduled for May 19.
