Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Hussein Mohammed says the federation is exploring an out-of-court solution to the dispute that has delayed the start of the 2026-27 FKF Premier League season.
The league remains suspended following a series of court cases challenging the regulations governing promotion and relegation, particularly the relegation of Kariobangi Sharks and the promotion of Mombasa United.
Kariobangi Sharks finished 16th in the 2025-26 Premier League and have challenged their relegation under the 2025 regulations, which provide for three automatic relegations.
The club argues that the league should have been governed by the 2019 regulations, which provided for a playoff between the team finishing 16th in the Premier League and the third-placed side in the second tier.
Although the Sports Disputes Tribunal ruled in favour of the 2025 regulations, the dispute later moved to the High Court, where conflicting orders have further complicated the league’s resumption.
A court in Murang’a granted FKF permission to proceed with the league, while another case filed in Nairobi barred the federation from restarting the competition before the matter was heard.
FKF’s attempts to resume the league in accordance with the Murang’a ruling have subsequently been met with additional injunctions. The latest order, issued last Friday, stopped the league from resuming as scheduled on Saturday.
Speaking during a media briefing in Nairobi on Monday, Mohammed said the federation was consulting legal advisers and club representatives in an effort to find a solution acceptable to all parties.
“We are consulting with legal counsel and club representatives,” Mohammed said.
“We are engaging the affected parties to see whether we can have a playoff or another all-inclusive process for all. The ideal situation would be if we got consent from both quarters.”
Mohammed acknowledged that the dispute had taken on a political dimension and said diplomacy could be necessary to break the deadlock.
He also urged football stakeholders to resolve disputes through the federation’s internal mechanisms rather than ordinary courts.
“We must revert to immediate internal solutions and not take football matters to ordinary courts,” he said.
FKF Defends Handling of Regulations
The federation has also defended itself against criticism that it failed to anticipate the dispute or communicate the changes to clubs effectively.
FKF maintains that all 18 Premier League clubs were aware that the 2025 regulations were in force when the 2025-26 season began on September 19, 2025.
According to the federation, its National Executive Committee scrapped the relegation playoffs on the opening day of the season, although the official communication confirming the decision was circulated on September 23.
Acting FKF CEO Dennis Gicheru said the Sports Disputes Tribunal had already addressed the issue, noting that clubs had received league standings throughout the season showing three teams would be relegated and three promoted.
“Much as there was that four-day discrepancy in communication, you cannot sit on something for a whole season and come and raise it at the end of the season,” Gicheru said.
He added that the tribunal had found that the grievance could not reasonably be raised after clubs had operated under the same promotion and relegation structure for nine months.
“It is very clear; league tables were being sent, three down, three up. Have you now realised an administrative lapse at the end of the season? The tribunal’s position was no.”
The continued legal dispute has left the start of the new Premier League season uncertain, with FKF now seeking a negotiated settlement to allow the competition to resume.
