FIFA lifts ban barring Kenya from international matches after 9 months

After nine months, Kenya's ban on participating in international soccer activities has been lifted by the football governing body FIFA.

FIFA notified the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) on Monday of the decision, which came after Kenya's new Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports & Arts, Ababu Namwamba, reinstated the federation's executive committee.

The ban went into effect on February 24 after the sports ministry disbanded FKF and appointed a caretaker committee in the wake of the alleged misappropriation of funds meant for football activities in the country. The lifting of the ban comes barely a week after Namwamba met FIFA President in Qatar

Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports and Arts Ababu Namwamba and FIFA President, Gianni Infantino Pulse Live Kenya

READ: Ababu Namwamba meets FIFA president in Qatar

Following the lifting of the ban, FIFA Secretary-General Fatma Samoura stated that the global body will send representatives from FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to meet with newly appointed Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba in an attempt to chant the way forward on matters pertaining soccer in the country.

“The bureau of the Council decided on November 25 to lift the suspension of the FKF with immediate effect. Upon lifting the suspension, a FIFA-CAF mission will be deployed to Nairobi in order to define the next steps for the FKF and to meet with the newly appointed Cabinet Secretary for Sports,” read part of the statement by Fatma Samoura.

As a result of the ban, no Kenyan team, including club teams, was permitted to compete in international football matches. The ban saw Kenya get excluded from three continental events, including the men's 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, as well as the CAF Confederation and Champions League games.

Nick Mwendwa, FKF President Pulse Live Kenya

All domestic club leagues, which were scheduled to begin in late August, were canceled after teams threatened to boycott competitions until FIFA sanctioned the league.

Former Sports CS Amina Mohamed fired FKF president Nick Mwendwa, CEO Barry Otieno, and other FKF officials in November last year over allegations of misappropriation of funds at Kandanda House.

Simultaneously, she appointed a caretaker committee led by former Judge Aaron Ringera to run the federation for six months. FIFA threatened the Cabinet Secretary with a ban if her decision was upheld in a letter to FKF.

When Ababu Namwamba was taking over from Amina Mohammed, he said he'd work closely with football stakeholders to resolve the stand-off between FKF and FIFA.