Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has shed more light on the legal wrangle behind the delayed start of the 2026/27 SportPesa League, outlining how competing court directions have complicated the composition of the 18-team competition.
In a statement issued on Monday, September 21, FKF said it had been preparing for the new campaign when separate proceedings concerning Kariobangi Sharks and Mombasa United resulted in different directions on how the league should proceed.
The season was scheduled to open on September 19, but the federation called off the opening fixtures as it assessed the legal implications of the orders and consulted the affected parties.
At the centre of the disagreement is the promotion and relegation process at the end of the 2025/26 season. Sharks finished 16th in the Premier League, while Mombasa United occupied third position in the National Super League.
FKF relied on its 2025 regulations, which provide for three teams to be automatically relegated from the Premier League and three to be promoted from the NSL. On that basis, Sharks went down while Mombasa United moved up without a playoff. The arrangement has since been contested in court.
In proceedings at the High Court in Murang’a, Evans Nduta challenged FKF’s application of the promotion and relegation rules. Justice Dorah Chepkwony subsequently issued an order requiring Sharks and Mombasa United to play a promotion-relegation playoff before FKF could proceed with the league. The case is due for further proceedings on September 24.
Sharks had also moved to the High Court in Nairobi in a separate matter seeking to halt the planned league opening. In HCTA/E081/2026, Justice Janet Mulwa declined to grant the club’s application on an ex-parte basis and directed that the matter proceed for further directions.
At the High Court in Kiambu, the Centre for Litigation Trust challenged Mombasa United’s exclusion from the top flight. In HCCHRPET/E107/2026, Justice Francis Nyungu Kyambia directed FKF to publish provisional fixtures with Mombasa United listed as the 18th team and to allow the club to participate, subject to the federation’s other requirements. That case is scheduled for an inter-partes hearing on September 29.
The orders have left the federation with two different directions concerning Mombasa United’s place in the competition. The Murang’a order requires a playoff before the league can proceed, while the Kiambu order provides for the club to be included in the 18-team league.
FKF said it is now working with its legal team, clubs and other stakeholders to find a way through the impasse. The federation is considering an expedited playoff or another arrangement that would comply with the court orders while remaining within its regulations.
No new date has been announced for the beginning of the 2026/27 season.
Beyond the legal dispute, Monday’s statement also highlighted what FKF described as progress made during the past year, including investment in youth and women’s football, coaching and refereeing programmes, infrastructure and grassroots development.
The federation also said outstanding arrears owed to match officials had been cleared, describing the move as part of efforts to strengthen the administration of Kenyan football.
For now, FKF must resolve the competing court directions before determining how Mombasa United’s place in the league will be handled and when the 2026/27 season can begin.
