Solve polarising debate on league size once and for all

What you need to know:

  • For the past two years, the end of the season has been mired in the same quarrel between the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and the Kenya Premier League (KPL) over the number of teams that ought to be included in the top flight football in Kenya.
  • This strange argument has caused a lot of consternation and disruption in the football calendar. It has become routine that we somehow expect it every end of the season.
  • The matter has been taken to court several times, and even as I write this, one of the bodies (FKF or KPL) is already in court challenging one thing or the other. KPL insists the teams should be 16, while FKF wants 18.

For the past two years, the end of the season has been mired in the same quarrel between the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and the Kenya Premier League (KPL) over the number of teams that ought to be included in the top flight football in Kenya.

This strange argument has caused a lot of consternation and disruption in the football calendar. It has become routine that we somehow expect it every end of the season.

The matter has been taken to court several times, and even as I write this, one of the bodies (FKF or KPL) is already in court challenging one thing or the other. KPL insists the teams should be 16, while FKF wants 18.

In 2014, the tussle landed in court. In the end, KPL had its way and 16 teams took part in the league. The FKF brigade did not like the outcome and fought it bitterly. The Kenyan Premier League was stopped for weeks.

The prerogative of running the lower leagues rests with FKF, so the officials of that time refused to promote two teams to the Premier League.

As a result, two teams that had already been relegated — Nairobi City Stars and Nakuru AllStars — survived the chop and remained in the top-tier league.
The teams performed dismally and the league was severely watered down.

In a show of muscle, FKF sabotaged the league by blocking the services of qualified referees. When the body mandated to run football in the country stoops so low to the level of threatening referees not to take part in the growth of football, then its ego must really have been wounded! Angry FKF officials had scores to settle with KPL.

In 2015 the tussle escalated to ridiculous levels. The league began late owing to the deadlock, which forced FKF to run a “parallel “ league comprising National Super League teams (Nationwide).

FKF had assumed that by declaring KPL an illegal entity it would deter teams from taking part in their league. They were dead wrong. We had two rival leagues running at the same time and FKF even sourced for an international firm to sponsor for their league.

Azam TV was also brought on board to televise matches. It was indeed a dark time for Kenyan football.

In the end, the FKF league wasted teams that ought to have played in an organised manner. Some teams pulled out of the league while others could not even honour their away matches.

At the end of that season, the FKF league was silently disbanded and teams were questionably promoted to the Kenyan Premier League.

It did not matter what points they had, what mattered was that the FKF office dictated whom to elevate.

Elections followed this year and the FKF got new office bearers. One would be naïve to think that the matter was settled.

The league season is coming to an end and the current office has already written to Fifa over the matter. Fifa replied and emphasised that FKF has the mandate of running football matters in the country.

We are tired of this merry-go-round. As the two wrangling bodies, FKF and KPL meet to discuss the issue, we expect them to approach the meeting with goodwill and sensibility. The Fifa letter should not be the only focus; the sides need to keep an open mind.

They should try to analyse the reasons for the creation of FKF and KPL and seek to build bridges.

Enough is enough! This end season ghost must be put to rest once and for all.