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Hussein Swaleh: Football admin eulogized in sombre memorial

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Business in Embu town came to a standstill when thousands of Sportsmen, friends and relatives joined  the family of the late football administrator Hussein Swaleh in a memorial service marked with sobs and tears.

Football Kenya Federation president Nick Mwendwa led mourners in a memorial service for the late Swaleh, who was among the 157 victims of the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash.

The service, held at the Embu Stadium, was also graced by deputy president Doris Petra, FKF executive committee members, branch officials, club representatives and Kenyans of all walks of life.

FKF President Nick Mwendwa hands a pennant to the late Hussein Swaleh’s son, Faizal Hussein, when the FKF leadership graced the memorial service of the fallen FKF Lower Eastern Branch Chairman. PHOTO/FKF

Mwendwa said: “FKF lost not just a branch chairman but a dedicated servant of the game, who always supported our football development agenda.

“As a Federation, we have stood with Swaleh’s family and will endeavor to offer them as much support as we can through these trying times.”

Swaleh, who once served as the federation’s general secretary, was the match commissioner in Egyptian side Ismaily’s CAF Champions League home match against TP Mazembe.

All 157 crew and passengers aboard the Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 perished and no bodies were found, families being given the option to carry soil from the crash site to take for burial. PHOTO/COURTESY

The immediate former FKF Lower Eastern branch chairman met his untimely death while traveling home from Egypt through Ethiopia.

Early last week,Confederation of African Football condoled with the family of the late footballer administrator who was among the victims of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302, a Boeing 737-800 Max that crashed on 10 March, shortly after take-off.

A CAF delegation, led by former Tanzanian Football Federation president Leodegar Tenga, met the family of the late Hussein at FKF House, Goal Project.

Author

Milton Nyakundi

Milton Nyakundi is a veteran multimedia journalist with over 20 years of experience across broadcast, digital, and print media, who relocated to the United States in 2022 and is now the Senior International Correspondent for Kurunzi News based in Washington, DC, USA. He has previously worked with the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), among other high-profile roles with Kenya's first privately-owned media outlet - Kenya Television Network. His experience also include prominent roles as Media Consultant for Football Kenya Federation (FKF), and StarTimes Kenya. His career spans high‑stakes political reporting covering legislative and constitutional issues, elections, governance, and accountability across Kenya, Africa, and global arenas. He also boasts extensive sports journalism experience, covering local and international sports events, including leagues, tournaments and sports governance. He is well-known for his investigative depth, editorial leadership, and evidence-driven journalism that guides his consistent delivery of public‑interest storytelling across platforms.

View all posts by Milton Nyakundi

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