Nicholas Musonye, Chairperson of the AFCON and CHAN Organising Committee, has strongly criticized past regimes of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) for what he termed as the stagnation and deterioration of football standards in the country.
Speaking during an interview on Mikiki ya Spoti on Radio 47 hosted by Fred Arocho, the long-serving former CECAFA Secretary General did not mince words as he addressed Kenya’s football woes.
“We have been stuck in the mud for a very long time, that’s why our football hasn’t improved. Uganda, Tanzania and even South Sudan and Somalia are doing better while Kenya lags behind,” Musonye lamented.
He praised the leadership of former football administrators, Joab Omino and Sammy Obingo, stating that their tenures in the 1990s marked the last period when the FKF operated with structure and discipline.
“Since they left in the 1990s, the federation has been in shambles due to poor running which has derailed the growth of Kenyan football—no order and discipline,” he said.
Musonye served as Secretary General and CEO of CECAFA from 1999 to 2020, a position he used to attempt to bring order to the Kenyan football scene. However, he admitted his efforts had limits.
“I tried to streamline Kenyan football but my impact was limited since I couldn’t interfere with the local federation’s affairs,” he said.
Despite his frustrations with past FKF administrations, Musonye expressed optimism in the current leadership under President Hussein Mohammed.
He said, “I put them where they belonged because I never tolerated their nonsense in CECAFA, that’s why CECAFA was solid. Nilikuwa nawaambia tunaenda kucheza mpira Sudan, mnatuma timu au hamtumi? There was no compromise between me and FKF.”
Musonye accused certain powerful individuals in the previous FKF leaderships of playing a significant role in the downfall of once admired sector in Kenya.
When asked whether Kenyan football “died” because of those past leaders, he replied candidly, “Tena a very bad one for a very long time,” ‘How many times have our teams been suspended by FIFA? Its because of upuzi mwingi sana that’s why we’ve been stuck in the mud for a very long time.”
On why he stepped down from his CECAFA role after two decades, Musonye offered a humble explanation.
“Why would you stay in one place for that long, especially 20 years? There were emerging people who could do the job so I opted for fresh blood,” he said.
As the Chairperson of the AFCON and CHAN Organising Committee, Musonye assured Kenyans that the country will be ready to co-host CHAN and AFCON since the preparations done have been up to required standards.
With his support behind the new FKF team, Musonye now hopes to see meaningful reforms that will steer Kenyan football back to competitiveness both regionally and continentally.
