Court ruling reignites perennial KPL and FKF wars

Zoo Kericho’s Mike Madoya (left) and Geoffrey Gichana (centre) vie for the ball with Tusker’s Hashim Sempala during their SportPesa Premier League match on September 13, 2017 at Ruaraka Grounds. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

What you need to know:

  • That match scheduled for Sunday has now been called off, as is Zoo Kericho’s contest against Nzoia United.

The Kenyan Premier League Limited appear the biggest beneficiaries of Thursday’s High Court ruling that changes the composition of the top flight football league to 16 teams, even if this decision implies the relegation of Nakumatt and Zoo Kericho from the SportPesa Premier League.

The ruling by Justice John Mativo has however resulted in considerable confusion within the country’s top flight football competition, laying credence as to why it is the preferred option to mediate sports conflicts at the Sports and Disputes Tribunal which is more abreast with sports activities in the country, as compared to a commercial court.

In his ruling in the case filed by former Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Sam Nyamweya, Mativo ordered the SportPesa Premier League reverts to a 16-team competition with immediate effect. 

The judge also suspended the enforcement of club licensing rules implemented by FKF last year, and ordered the existing agreement between the federation and KPL, which mandates the former to manage the competition until 2019 is respected.

“Justice has finally been served. It is always important for football administrators and other national leaders to honour agreements. That’s what I was out to achieve,” Nyamweya told Sunday Nation.

“We have no option other than obey the (court) order. We respect the Rule of Law,” KPL’S chief executive Jack Oguda said. Oguda, alongside KPL vice chairman Ambrose Rachier, have always maintained that it was wrong to increase the number of teams competing in the league from 16 to 18. 

This led to a prolonged tussle between KPL and FKF, which resulted in among other things, the abrupt withdrawal of Pay-TV company SuperSport.

Before its exit, SuperSport pumped in an estimated Sh300 million each year in sponsorship money and production costs to broadcast the league matches throughout the continent.

SportPesa’s Group Chief Marketing Officer Joyce Kibe said the company remains committed to building the capacity of the league.

Meanwhile, Nakumatt FC players were left stranded in Kisumu on Friday after the league body announced the club’s suspension from the competition in compliance with the court order.

The indefinite suspension, which takes immediate effect, has also affected Zoo Kericho.

Having played against Muhoroni Youth in Muhoroni grounds on Wednesday, the Nairobi based Nakumatt’s management had opted for the cost-cutting measure to allow the team camp in the lakeside city for a few days in the run up their next assignment against Western Stima at the Moi stadium.

That match scheduled for Sunday has now been called off, as is Zoo Kericho’s contest against Nzoia United.