When Hussein Mohammed received a certificate from the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Electoral Board chairman Hesbon Owila and FIFA Counsel member Isha Johansen at the Kasarani Gymnasium on December 7, 2024, he spoke of transforming the country’s football in record time through his ‘Fresh Start’ slogan, which saw him sweep the majority of the National Executive slots in the hotly contested polls. 

Today, People Sport looks at his hits and misses after exactly 100 days in office, a seat that had attracted eight contestants. 

From the manifesto presented to local football enthusiasts by team ‘Fresh Start,’ the first 100 days of his tenure were expected to be a period of intense activity and change. However, this does not seem to be the case.

Changes have been made, but very few, leading to a period of stagnation and uncertainty as it is taking longer than expected to turn things around. 

The most visible achievement of the current office is the hiring of high-profile South African coach Benni McCarthy, who is believed to have signed a contract earning him Sh8 million per month— the highest salary in Harambee Stars’ history for a foreign coach.

McCarthy, in his first national team coaching job, is tasked with building a winning team that will guarantee Kenya’s strong performance in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. 

McCarthy has a rich résumé, but the hefty monthly salary has raised eyebrows.

Hussein could not be reached for comment on the phone and did not respond to text messages. 

The team also secured crucial tournament participation for Harambee Stars in Zanzibar, where the national men’s football team was knocked out by the hosts.

However, the tournament at least provided an opportunity for new call-ups to prove their mettle. 

The youth leagues for Under-13 and Under-16 have taken place, and both Harambee Starlets and Junior Starlets have won crucial qualifiers against Tunisia and Uganda, respectively, progressing in their campaigns. 

Hussein also formed an Adhoc Committee that conducted an audit and discovered that the federation was in debt of more than Sh300 million. 

Despite these baby steps in the first 100 days, Hussein has faced several challenges and is yet to steady the ship, as slight divisions have emerged in the executive leadership.

This could make it difficult to implement new ideas and strategies, as the federation president may be reluctant to make difficult decisions. 

Hussein had promised to secure sponsorship for all the leagues, but this is yet to materialise. The FKF-Premier League still relies on the broadcast sponsorship of Azam without a league title sponsor, while the FKF-Women’s Premier League remains without sponsorship.

Referees are also yet to be paid their dues for 12 rounds of league matches. 

The technical bench staff for Harambee Starlets and Junior Starlets (who steered the juniors to their maiden World Cup) remain intact, as does the technical bench for the national Under-20 men’s team, indicating that inherited structures remain unchanged, with no short-term plans to overhaul them. 

Harambee Stars leave the country today for a crucial World Cup qualifying match against Gambia without playing a friendly match, which could have helped coach McCarthy assess the strengths and weaknesses of his players, given that he is new to the team. 

Previously, Harambee Stars players stayed in five-star hotels while in camp preparing for international matches.

However, they are currently accommodated at the Stadion Hotel Complex in Kasarani, which does not have a star rating.