Gor Mahia's Musa Shariff (right) leaves Brian Ojok of AFC Leopards enjoying the smoothness of the ground during the Mashemeji derby at Nyayo National Stadium on April 26, 2026.
Postponement of the kick-off of 2026/27 Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF-PL) has only added to the confusion that has engulfed the competition in recent times.
Yesterday, FKF informed league teams that, contrary to earlier plans announced for August 31 kick-off, the competition would, after all, not kick off as clubs were yet to meet to agree on the kick-off date.
The current uncertainty is reminiscent of the turmoil that rocked Kenya’s top-flight league in the late 90s and early 2000s. During that period, haphazard fixtures, arbitrary decisions, demotion and promotion of teams with no regard to regulations were the order of the day.
For instance, in 1998 when multiple winners AFC Leopards won their latest league title, FKF, then referred to as Kenya Football Federation (KFF), suspended Mumias FC from the competition and matches involving them were awarded to their opponents. The federation later reinstated the sugar millers and cancelled the awarded matches.
KFF relegated three teams - Green Berets, Mafuko Bombers and Reli - and promoted Brooke Bond, KCB, Red Berets, Coastal Stars and Kisumu All Stars, expanding the league from 18 teams to 20 for the 1999 season.
Gor Mahia players celebrate a goal against Mathare United during their FKF Premier League match at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on February 28, 2026.
But late in the new campaign, the federation, without any rationale, decided that the league would be reduced to 18 clubs again in 2000. However, 21 teams took part. Nearly three decades later, Kenyan football is facing another round of uncertainty, putting at stake the livelihoods of thousands of stakeholders, affecting the confidence of sponsors in Kenyan football, and jeopardising the country’s readiness for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), which Kenya will co-host with Uganda and Tanzania from June 19 to July 17. The cause? The regulations governing promotion and regulation of teams in the Kenya leagues.
Following Friday’s court decision that allowed FKF to proceed with the 2026/27 FKF-PL kick-off under the 2019 regulations, the federation announced on Saturday that the competition would start today.
However, the season was set to begin without Kariobangi Sharks and Mombasa United, who had been at the centre of the standoff over the league’s commencement. But several clubs immediately expressed their displeasure at proceeding with the league while a number of issues surrounding the competition remained unresolved. On Saturday night, FKF informed clubs that it had postponed the opening round fixtures which were scheduled to run from today to Wednesday. The federation is expected to meet club officials today in an effort to address some of their concerns.
“We wish to notify you that the SportPesa League 2026/27 round one fixtures scheduled to be played between Monday, August 31, 2026 and Wednesday, September 2, 2026 have been postponed,” read a statement the federation sent to the clubs. “This is to allow for deliberations between the federation, participating clubs and the league sponsors that will provide direction and guidance on the management of the league for the upcoming season.”
FKF added that the opening round fixtures and the entire season’s schedule will be shared with all clubs and relevant stakeholders within the shortest time possible.
The confusion surrounding Kenyan football began in September when FKF communicated that the application of the 2025 regulations in the running of the league was already underway. The competition had previously been run under the 2019 regulations.
The 2025 FKF regulations stipulate automatic relegation of the bottom three Premier League teams and the automatic promotion of the top three National Super League (NSL) teams. Under the 2019 regulations, the bottom two Premier League teams are automatically relegated while the top two NSL teams earn automatic promotion. The team which finishes in 16th place in the FKF-PL would then face the side that emerged third in the NSL in a two-leg fixture for a place in the top flight league.
After FKF confirmed to Sharks that it had been relegated based on the 2025 regulations, the club filed a case challenging the application of the new rules before the Sports Disputes and Tribunal (SDT). SDT ruled in FKF’s favour, finding the 2025 regulations applicable. Sharks then took the case to the High Court in Milimani, which suspended the SDT’s decision. While this was happening, Justice Dorah Chepkwony of the High Court in Murang’a had already issued orders barring the FKF from applying the 2025 regulations pending the hearing and determination of a case filed by one Evans Nduta. Convinced that there was a serious need to get the 2026/27 FKF-PL underway, Justice Chepkwony on Friday lifted orders barring the competition from starting.
However, the two cases touching on the matter will continue. Sports lawyer Charles Njenga, who is representing FKF in the cases, told Nation Sport that should the High Court rule that the 2025 regulations apply, Mombasa United stand to be reinstated in the top flight league. Should the court rule otherwise, Njenga explained that Sharks will face Mombasa United in the FKF-PL/NSL play-off.
Sports lawyer Christopher Sasaka weighed in on the stand-off in the league’s kick-off, stating that the federation must not rush into starting the league but instead take time internalize and carefully consider the High Court rulings in Murang’a and Nairobi.
“The Murang’a High Court has cleared the league to proceed under the 2019 rules. But the Federation must not rush. The High Court in Nairobi has stayed Kariobangi Sharks’ relegation under the 2025 Rules pending their September appeal. These two orders must be read together; you cannot cherry-pick which parts of the 2019 framework to apply while ignoring a live stay order from another court on the same subject matter,” Sasaka observed yesterday. The uncertainty over the league’s kick-off had already raised concerns among the league’s commercial partners and clubs.
On August 14, Azam Media CEO-Broadcasting Patrick Kahemele, the league’s principal broadcast partner, wrote to FKF seeking urgent clarity on when the new season would begin, when the final league composition would be confirmed and how the federation intended to manage the disputes affecting the competition calendar. Azam said the uncertainty was making it difficult for the broadcaster, participating clubs, commercial partners and production teams to make the necessary preparations and commitments for the new campaign.
“Given the operational and commercial planning required for successful delivery of the season, we would appreciate receiving this clarification at the earliest opportunity,” said Azam in its letter.
Azam TV is in the first season of a seven-year partnership with FKF worth Sh129 million in the first year, with the amount increasing by Sh12.9 million annually. The entire deal is valued at Sh1.17 billion.
League title sponsor SportPesa has also expressed concern over the delay in the start of the season in a letter to FKF dated August 13.
“This continued uncertainty is causing a significant impact on our business operations and negatively impacting the value which we should be receiving as title sponsor for the competition,” said part of the letter signed by Alan McTavish, Global Head of Sponsorship. “Furthermore, those court cases are damaging the reputation of Kenyan football, something which is not helpful for any key stakeholder of the game in this country, especially in the lead-up to Afcon 2027,” added the letter. With Kenya co-hosting the 2027 Afcon with Uganda and Tanzania, the league is expected to conclude early to allow for greater focus on the continental competition. The delay in the league kick-off therefore raises fears that the season could be further compressed, leaving clubs with a congested fixture schedule. In opposing the league’s kick-off on Monday, Nairobi United Chief Executive Officer Nelson Odaya said clubs need clarity on the many legal questions, which include the foreign players’ quota.
Tusker players celebrate after beating Kenya Police 2-1 in the Mozzart Bet Cup final at Kwale Stadium in Kwale County on June 14, 2026.
The 2019 regulation allows clubs a maximum of five foreign players while the 2025 regulations give room for up to seven.
With the court decision coming after the Kenyan transfer window had been closed, Gor Mahia, Kenya Police, Nairobi United and Tusker find themselves in a state of confusion, having each signed more than five players.
“The court decision came after the transfer window had closed and the club licensing had already been completed. The federation undertook all these under the 2025 regulations, so they cannot tell us now that they are applying the 2019 rules. It would be unfair to both the club and the players,” said Odaya. “Of the seven foreign players we have signed, how do we decide which two to drop? You can even be sued because contracts come with obligations,” he added. Odaya warned that failure to address the many legal questions will likely see the league face a similar predicament in the near future.
Shabana FC’s Secretary General Elizaphan Kerama echoed Odaya’s sentiments, stating that applying the 2019 regulations would likely expose clubs which had signed more than five foreign based players to legal suits.
Another unresolved matter regarding the 2026/27 FKF-PL is the demand by clubs to have it run by an independent body/company.
Following warnings by the club chairmen that the teams would boycott next season’s campaign unless a clear leadership structure for the running of the league is established, FKF in July formed a seven-member transition committee to steer the process. Veteran football administrator and Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier was appointed the chair of the committee, whose immediate task was to examine the legal issues surrounding the implementation of a league run by a semi-autonomous body. According to Odaya, the Rachier-led committee has yet to present its status report on the matter.
He alleged that FKF’s decision to rush the start of the league is intended to prevent it from being run by an independent body.
“That is what the federation is running away from in starting the league quickly,” he said. Among the key reasons why the club officials want the league to be run by an independent body are the lopsided sharing of revenue, the spillover of federation politics into the league management, the desire for clubs to have a greater say in key decision-making and the need to ensure a more professional administration of the competition.
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