FKF Premier League 2026/27 Season in Doubt as Promotion and Relegation Dispute Deepens

The start of the 2026/27 Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF-PL) season is in serious doubt due to a contentious dispute over which rules should govern the promotion and relegation of teams.

This uncertainty is rooted in two conflicting sets of FKF regulations, one from 2019 and another from 2025, which outline different procedures for teams moving between the top-flight league and the National Super League (NSL).

The 2019 rules stipulate that the bottom two Premier League teams are automatically relegated, while the top two NSL teams are promoted.

A play-off then occurs between the 16th-placed Premier League team and the third-placed NSL team to determine the final spot in the 18-team league.

Under this system, Bidco United and Sofapaka would be relegated, with Migori Youth and 3K earning automatic promotion. Kariobangi Sharks, who finished 16th, would face NSL's third-placed Mombasa United in a two-legged play-off.

However, a newer set of regulations from 2025 dictates that the bottom three Premier League teams are automatically relegated, and the top three from the NSL are promoted.

This scenario would see Sofapaka, Kariobangi Sharks, and Bidco United all relegated, with Migori Youth, 3K, and Mombasa United moving up to the top flight.

Kariobangi Sharks challenged their potential relegation at the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT), which initially ruled in favour of the FKF, upholding the 2025 rules.

The Sharks then escalated the matter by appealing to the High Court in Murang’a, which issued a stay on the SDT's decision.

The case has since been moved to the Milimani Civil Court, with a hearing scheduled for August 25. This legal battle has cast a long shadow over the league's planned kick-off on August 29.

FKF's National Executive Committee (NEC), the body responsible for setting the league's start date, has yet to make an official announcement. A planned NEC meeting was also halted by a High Court order.

Adding to the administrative chaos, the FKF currently lacks both an appeals committee and a disciplinary committee.

These crucial bodies require approval from the General Assembly, which has not been convened, raising serious questions about how any disciplinary issues will be managed once the season begins.

The ongoing legal and administrative issues threaten to derail the entire start of the season, including the Super Cup match scheduled for Sunday between defending champions Gor Mahia and FKF Cup winners Tusker.

Furthermore, FKF President Hussein Mohamed, CEO Dennis Gicheru, and legal representative Frank Ogolla are facing a contempt of court hearing on August 25.

They are accused of disregarding court orders that prohibited them from proceeding with new season preparations until the dispute is resolved.