Nairobi United vs Gor Mahia: High Court Hands Down Ruling in Controversial Match

The Milimani High Court has upheld a decision by the Football Kenya Federation Leagues and Competition Committee (FKFLCC) to treat the abandoned Premier League match between Nairobi United and league leaders Gor Mahia as a completed fixture.

The match, played on December 21, 2025, at Dandora Stadium, was called off in the 58th minute due to crowd trouble with the score tied at 1-1. The chaos reportedly erupted after Nairobi United scored their equalising goal.

In her ruling, Justice Roselyn Aburili suspended a previous directive from the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) that had ordered the FKFLCC to rehear the entire dispute. The High Court's decision means the original 1-1 scoreline stands, confirming the match as a draw.

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The legal battle began when the FKF challenged an SDT ruling from March 6, 2026. The SDT had sided with Nairobi United, which had appealed to be declared the winners of the abandoned match.

The tribunal found that the FKFLCC, led by Peter Kamau, had erred in its initial judgment and ordered a fresh hearing.

Representing the FKF, lawyer Charles Njenga argued in the High Court that the FKFLCC's initial ruling was legally sound and should not have been overturned by the SDT.

The FKF filed the case under a certificate of urgency, seeking to quash the SDT's decision and prevent it from further handling the dispute until all internal FKF appeal mechanisms were exhausted.

Mr. Njenga urged the court to prohibit the SDT from hearing any disputes between the two clubs before they go through the FKF Appeals Committee, as established under the federation's constitution.

The SDT had also made broader rulings, declaring the current FKF Disciplinary Committee invalidly constituted and nullifying the FKF's revised Rules and Regulations Governing Kenyan Football. It had given the federation 60 days to regularise its judicial bodies.

However, the FKFLCC had initially ruled on January 30 that the match was abandoned due to "force majeure" (an irresistible compulsion) and, in line with FKF regulations, the result at the time of stoppage would be upheld. This led to Nairobi United's unsuccessful appeal to the SDT.

Justice Aburili certified the case as urgent and granted the stay requested by the FKF. The judge has ordered the SDT to be served with the legal documents to prepare a defence, with the next hearing scheduled for April 20, 2026.

The Sports Disputes Tribunal has ordered a committee to rehear a case, mandating strict adherence to the "rules of natural justice" and the exclusive use of the 2019 FKF Rules and Regulations Governing Kenyan Football.

The tribunal found that the revised regulations, which the committee had previously applied, were enacted without following the procedures outlined in Articles 21, 24, and 32 of the FKF Constitution, rendering them invalid for the case.