- Nick Mwendwa served as the President of the Football Kenya Federation for nine years.
- He made several achievements despite his tenure being overshadowed by scandals.
- Mwendwa’s reign ended on December 7, 2024 after Hussein Mohamed won the presidential election.
Nick Mwendwa’s reign as the president of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) came to an end on Saturday December 7, 2024.
Mwendwa was succeeded by the vibrant Hussein Mohamed, who emerged victorious in the peaceful elections that were held in Kasarani.
The Extreme Sports Chief Executive Officer (CEO) garnered 67 votes after a rerun was conducted, 44 more than Barry Otieno to secure the coveted seat.
His victory was received well by the majority of the Kenyan football stakeholders, who took to social media platforms to express their excitement. The outgoing President also took time shortly after the winner was confirmed to congratulate his successor.
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As Mwendwa, who has been in charge of Kenyan football for nine years, vacates the office, very few people are pleased with the work he did during his tenure. However, there is always something nice in every bad thing.
Sportpesa Blog takes a look at some of Mwendwa’s key achievements during his administration as the head of the national football governing body.
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Junior Starlets FIFA U17 World Cup qualification
One of Mwendwa’s biggest achievements was overseeing the Kenya U17 Girls football team qualify for the prestigious FIFA World Cup tournament.
The youngsters made history by becoming the first Kenyan football team to qualify and play in a FIFA World Cup.
Although they only picked up a single win in the event that was staged in the Dominican Republic, the side which is widely known as Junior Starlets made the nation proud.
Mwendwa will be forever remembered as the first president who had the pleasure of watching a national team play at the FIFA World Cup.
Successful 2027 Pamoja AFCON bid
Let’s give credit where it is due, Mwendwa played an instrumental role to ensure Kenya won the rights to co-host the upcoming African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament alongside Uganda and Tanzania.
The 45-year-old, who worked closely together with his East African colleagues and the immediate former sports cabinet secretary Ababu Namwamba, did an excellent job to convince the continent that the region can deliver a colorful tournament.
Nevertheless, with Mwendwa and Ababu out, it remains to be seen whether the current officials will ensure the country does not lose the opportunity to host the eagerly awaited championship which is scheduled to kick off in June, 2027.
Harambee Stars 2019 AFCON qualification
The other incredible achievement that Mwendwa made during his time as the FKF President was to preside over Harambee Stars 2019 AFCON qualification.
Although luck somehow played a role after Sierra Leone’s disqualification, Mwendwa did an excellent job to assemble a technical bench that made the qualification possible.
The memories of that fateful day when Harambee Stars hammered Ethiopia 3-0 at the Moi International Sports Centre (MISC) Karasani to qualify for AFCON after a long hiatus will remain in the minds of thousands of us who filled the stadium to capacity.
Harambee Starlets 2016 AFCON qualification.
Finally, Nick Mwendwa did a great job during his first year in office to help Harambee Starlets qualify for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (AWCON) tournament for the first time in 2016.
His decision to retain David Ouma as the Harambee Starlets head coach upon assuming office paid off as the former guided the side to a 1-1 draw with Algeria to secure the historic qualification.
Furthermore, most of the players, who played for Harambee Starlets during the qualification process, including Mwanalima Jereko Adam and Esse Mbeyu Akida, went on to play professional football in different parts of the world including Europe.
The bottom line is, although Mwendwa’s reign was overshadowed by scandals, he attained key achievements that will forever be remembered.
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