Police were forced to intervene at Three Steers Hotel in Meru on Saturday after chaos broke out ahead of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Special General Meeting.
The meeting, which was scheduled to begin at 9am, had yet to start as officers moved in to clear the premises and allow accredited delegates to access the venue.
Rapid Deployment Unit officers were deployed after hundreds of youths reportedly gathered at the hotel, with some said to have occupied different sections of the premises.
Teargas was fired at the main entrance as police tried to disperse the crowd and restore order. Officers also moved through parts of the hotel to remove people who had reportedly taken over some of the rooms.
The commotion left several delegates struggling to get into the meeting venue, raising questions about whether all those expected to attend would be able to take part.
Tension was also witnessed when FKF Deputy President McDonald Mariga arrived at the hotel in a police van.
A video circulating online showed a man in a blue suit approaching the vehicle as it stopped. Armed officers quickly moved in, chased him away and escorted Mariga into the building.
The incident came a day after another confrontation was reported at the same venue involving an FKF National Executive Committee member and two branch chairmen.
The two officials had reportedly visited the hotel to check on preparations for the meeting when they were confronted by a group said to have travelled from Nairobi. The disagreement allegedly turned physical, leaving several people injured.
Saturday’s events have added to the tensions surrounding the FKF leadership, with the meeting expected to determine the fate of seven members of the federation’s National Executive Committee.
Those facing possible removal include Deputy President McDonald Mariga, amid a prolonged leadership dispute involving FKF President Hussein Mohammed.
For any NEC member to be removed, the motion requires the support of at least two-thirds of the delegates present at the meeting.
However, with police still trying to restore order and delegates facing difficulties accessing the venue, uncertainty remained over when the meeting would get underway.
