Eliud Owalo Calls for Quick End to Football Crisis as He Offers to Mediate - ‘Future of Our Children at Stake’

Presidential aspirant Eliud Owalo has called for an immediate end to the legal and administrative stalemate that has paralysed the 2026/27 FKF Premier League, urging all involved parties to withdraw their court cases and pursue a swift, amicable solution.

Speaking as a prominent football stakeholder, Owalo expressed his disappointment that the country's top-flight competition remains in limbo nearly a month after its scheduled start date.

"I stand before you today, first and foremost, as an integral sports stakeholder in this country," Owalo stated. "My passion for sports and better governance is well documented. It is in the public domain."

The core of the conflict lies in the conflicting interpretations of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) regulations from 2019 and 2025. Kariobangi Sharks are challenging their relegation based on which set of rules should apply. The 2025 regulations mandate the automatic relegation of the bottom three teams, which would see Sharks, who finished 16th, drop to the National Super League (NSL).

However, the 2019 rules provide for a promotion/relegation playoff between the 16th-placed Premier League team and the third-placed NSL side, a position held by Mombasa United last season. This discrepancy has thrown the league's structure into disarray.

Owalo warned that the prolonged impasse has severe consequences for clubs, players, sponsors, and thousands of Kenyans whose livelihoods depend on the sport. "At the heart of this dispute is disagreement over which rules should govern this season's league structure," he said, highlighting the damage being done to the football ecosystem.

The former ICT Cabinet Secretary also condemned what he termed "cartelism" and selfish interests within football, arguing that leadership squabbles should not be allowed to derail the national league.

"It is time to condemn the cartelism that has hijacked the game we so dearly love," Owalo declared. "We have so many busybodies in football today... cartels who want to create unnecessary controversy."

He pointed out the financial strain on clubs, which are still paying player salaries despite the lack of competitive matches and revenue streams. Sponsors are also at risk of losing the visibility they paid for, potentially undermining their confidence in the league.

"Why, I ask, would someone proclaim to love football, yet take pride when our league is in shambles? The future of our children is at stake," questioned Owalo, who until recently was the Gor Mahia patron.

As a first step toward a resolution, the People’s Prosperity Party leader proposed the unconditional withdrawal of all court cases. "For a start, all parties to the current disputes must unconditionally withdraw all the cases before the court if they really mean well for Kenyan football," he insisted.

He also called on the Ministry of Sports to provide decisive leadership to bring the warring factions together, emphasizing that the goal should be facilitation, not interference. "The Ministry of Sports... should step up and offer leadership, not offer interference," Owalo urged.

While declining to publicly state his preferred league structure to avoid further antagonism, Owalo remained optimistic that a solution is within reach through dialogue. "I believe the current challenge is not insurmountable. It can be sorted," he concluded, as stakeholders continue to seek a path forward for the stalled 2026/27 season.