Kenya Football fraternity is in mourning following the tragic death of renowned sports administrator Hussein Swaleh in the ill-fated Ethiopian Airline 737 plane from Addis Ababa on Sunday.
Swaleh was on his way home from Cairo where he was the Commissioner of a CAF Champions League match between Egyptian side Ismailia and TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo played on Friday.
Football Kenya Federation wishes to express its heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of FKF Lower Eastern branch chairman Hussein Swaleh and all victims of the #EthiopianAirlines Flight B-737-800Max that crashed today, shortly after take-off.— Football Kenya Federation (@Football_Kenya) March 10, 2019
FKF president led heartfelt condolences for the man, who was once the Secretary General of Kenya Football Federation (KFF), the pre-cursor of the current local football association.
“Sad day for football. You were doing what you loved most. Fare thee well my chairman. Until we meet again,” Mwendwa tweeted shortly after confirming Swaleh was aboard the Ethiopia Airline’s Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane.
Sad day for football. You were doing what you loved most. Fare thee well my chairman. Until we meet again. pic.twitter.com/WnOh4c3Pxh— Nick Mwendwa (@Nmwendwa) March 10, 2019
Sad day for football. You were doing what you loved most. Fare thee well my chairman. Until we meet again.
Immediate former FKF president Sam Nyamweya said Swaleh’s death difficult to take.
“I am the one who brought him to football because of his enthusiasm and the love of the game. It is really sad that he left us at this moment and in the manner it happened. I wish his family, friends and football community God’s strength as we seek to deal with this huge loss,” Nyamweya said.
FKF NEC member for Easter Muriithi Nabea described Swaleh as an energetic and experienced administrator.
“No words will describe the loss and the gap he leaves in both local and international football.
According to a statement from the airline, all 157 people on board died, among them 32 Kenyans.
The airline added that there were 33 different nationalities on board.
Swaleh served as Kenya Football Federation secretary general between 2000 and 2004, a period in which the federation went through a torrid period with Fifa and the Kenyan government.
Sad to hear of Hussein Swaleh’s involvement in the fatal #EthiopianAirlines plane accident. The former FKF Sec Gen and current Lower Eastern Branch Chair was homebound after a match comm assignment. RIP Chairman. pic.twitter.com/dkg9Kt9Apt— OneTisaSports (@OneTisa) March 10, 2019
Severally, the government would interfere with the running of the game attracting sanctions from Fifa.
Swaleh was initially elected as Deputy Secretary of the federation with Maina Kariuki as president.
However, when the then secretary Dan Murunga was suspended, Swaleh was elevated to the position.
It is during this period that Kenya also qualified to the Africa Cup of Nations in 2004 in Tunisia and went on to register her first win at that stage beating Burkina Faso 3-0.
Kirimari ward, Embu county and Kenya in general is mourning death of Hussein Swaleh, elder brother to former MCA Ibrahim Swaleh. The #EthiopianAirlineCrash have taken our FKF chairman. Rest in paradise couch. #ET302 pic.twitter.com/hfKxjyKc4A— Charles Mchelsea (@CharlesChomba9) March 11, 2019
This is the tournament that announced the arrival of star striker Dennis Oliech.
Swaleh would play a pivotal role in taking Oliech to Qatar where he joined Al Arabi before moving to France to play for Nantes
Earlier in 2003, Swaleh
Sad to learn that Hussein Swaleh former FKF Sec Gen is among those passengers who perished on the ill fated #EthiopianAirlines flight #ET302 This is a big loss for the football fraternity. Fare thee well brother. We shall miss your passion for the game. pic.twitter.com/G1V7lC3gRI— Kizito Namulanda (@KizitoNamulanda) March 10, 2019
During his reign, CAF also banned Kenya from all African youth competitions for a period of two years after the national U17 team was found to have fielded players who were over 20 years of age.
This was the biggest age cheating scandal in Kenyan football, the players involved insisted FKF’s forerunner, KFF officials were aware of their real ages and played an active role in falsifying documents.
But Swaleh would have the ban lifted and he continued serving as a CAF match commissar until his tragic death yesterday.
Football greats like Tottenham Hotspurs player Victor Wanyama also sent their condolences:
Heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of FKF Lower Eastern branch chairman and @CAF_Online official Hussein Swaleh and all the victims of the #EthiopianAirlineCrash 💔— Victor Wanyama (@VictorWanyama) March 10, 2019