Why Jacob 'Ghost' Mulee Mulls Auctioning Harambee Stars 2002 Castle Cup Over FKF’s KSh 4.8M Debt

Former Harambee Stars coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee has revealed he may auction off the 2002 Castle Cup trophy to recover a debt of KSh 4.8 million owed to him by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF).

Mulee, who has served FKF in various roles over the past two decades, has kept the trophy in his possession since Kenya’s triumph in Tanzania, citing unpaid dues from the federation’s previous regimes.

Speaking on Citizen TV, Mulee recalled the circumstances that led him to hold onto the silverware, which technically should be in FKF’s custody.

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“We won this in 2002 in Tanzania. Previously, Uganda had won it, then Tanzania, and then Kenya. After winning the trophy, I was still owed 4.8 million shillings by the previous regime — the normalization committee under Kipchoge Keino.

“ I tried to claim my money, but the trophy remained at my home. I brought it along so people don’t wonder where the Castle Cup is. 

“It should be in FKF’s custody, but it’s still with me. In my will, I’ve even said that when I die, they can bury me with it.”

Frustrated by the long-standing debt, Mulee warned he is ready to part with the trophy — for the right price.

“I will just auction it for 4.8 million shillings. Anyone who meets that bid will buy it so I can recover my money.”

After guiding Kenya to the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations, Mulee left his role in 2005 but returned as coach in 2007, 2010, and again in 2020. In 2013, he served as FKF technical director under Sam Nyamweya — a period that has also left him with unpaid earnings.

However, Mulee says the current federation, led by Hussein Mohammed, is making efforts to settle those amounts.

“There is another amount of money from 2013 as technical director that I am owed. The current president, Hussein Mohammed, has promised to settle it so I can be able to pay my bills.”

Despite his successes including leading the team to the 2004 AFCON finals in Tunisia where Kenya secured a historic 3-0 victory over Burkina Faso,  Mulee’s stint with the national team has been marked by ongoing financial challenges.

In July,  FKF president Hussein Mohammed  revealed that the federation’s debt had surged from about KSh400 million in April to over KSh600 million in just two months, due to previously undisclosed creditors, missing documentation, and fresh FIFA sanctions, including a 110,000 Swiss Franc fine linked to Zoo Kericho’s 2020 match-fixing case. 

 Mohammed said FKF now owes over $5 million, with several FIFA rulings adding to the arrears. 

He outlined a repayment plan supported by FIFA, involving negotiations for debt write-offs, prioritising “high-risk” cases within 18 months, and seeking funds from FIFA allocations, government support, and the Ministry of Sports, while assuring that FKF will still meet its operational costs.