Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Hussein Mohammed has thrown his weight behind Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy, insisting the federation must support its technical team as it moves to resolve long-running work permit complications affecting the South African tactician and his assistants.
Mohammed has revealed that applications for the necessary permits have been submitted and the process is back on track, raising hopes that the uncertainty surrounding the technical bench’s working arrangements could soon be resolved.
McCarthy, who took charge of Harambee Stars in March 2025, has been working without a work permit alongside members of his technical team since arriving in Kenya, raising questions over how the matter has been handled and why it has taken so long to resolve.
Speaking in an interview with CGTN Africa, Mohammed said the responsibility for issuing work permits rests with the government, not the federation. He acknowledged that there had been setbacks in processing the applications.
“As you may well know, the federation doesn’t issue work permits. That is under the government’s mandate,” Mohammed said.
“But all the applications have been done, and it’s a process.” The FKF boss conceded that the process had not gone as smoothly as expected but expressed confidence that the outstanding issues would be addressed, with the federation now working towards a resolution.
“It’s unfortunate that along the way, maybe a ball or two were dropped in that process, but it’s back on track, and I’m sure it’s something that will be resolved in no time,” he said.
The permit saga comes at a delicate moment for McCarthy, whose tenure has attracted growing scrutiny following Harambee Stars’ recent performances and his assessment of Kenya’s chances against Africa’s leading football nations.
The former Bafana Bafana striker recently acknowledged that Kenya would struggle to compete with continental heavyweights Morocco, Egypt and Senegal for the Africa Cup of Nations title, citing the quality of the available players and the resources at the disposal of those countries.
His remarks did not go down well with some Kenyan supporters, with some questioning his ambitions and calling for his dismissal. However, Mohammed has moved to calm the growing disquiet, insisting that the federation remains committed to supporting McCarthy and allowing him to deliver.
Asked whether he still had confidence in the coach despite the challenges facing the national team, the FKF president said the federation had to trust those entrusted with its responsibilities.
“Well, we have had, of course, the issues that have arisen over time, but you have got to trust your team. So you’ve got to have trust in your team that they will be able to deliver,” he said.
Mohammed emphasised that the federation’s approach is to empower its technical personnel, assess shortcomings and make the necessary corrections rather than abandon those involved at the first sign of difficulty.
“And for us, we believe in empowering whoever is under the federation in whatever capacity or department to be able to perform at their optimum,” he said.
“To me, it is critical that you give and support.”
The president also acknowledged that some aspects of the federation’s operations had not gone according to plan, saying those responsible needed to examine what had gone wrong and establish how to avoid such problems in future.
“So for the areas that have not gone right, we really have to take a step back and say, what didn’t we get right and why didn’t we get it right and then fix it moving forward,” Mohammed said.
The backing comes as McCarthy continues preparing Harambee Stars for their upcoming international assignments and Kenya seeks to build a competitive side ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which the country will co-host with Uganda and Tanzania.
Although Harambee Stars have qualified automatically as one of the hosts, the team is also competing in the qualifying campaign, and their performances are likely to come under scrutiny as McCarthy attempts to establish a clear identity and improve the squad’s consistency.
