KPL should have 16 teams- High Court
What you need to know:
- The High Court has ruled that the SportPesa Premier League reverts to a 16-club competition with immediate effect.
- In a ruling that could cause further friction in the already strained relations between the country's top football officials, High Court Judge Justice John Mativo also declared as 'null and void' the newly introduced Football Kenya Federation club licensing rules.
The High Court on Thursday ruled that the SportPesa Premier League reverts to a 16-club competition with immediate effect.
In a ruling that could cause further friction in the already strained relations between the country's top football officials, High Court Judge Justice John Mativo also declared as 'null and void' the newly introduced Football Kenya Federation club licensing rules.
Further, Football Kenya Federation president Nick Mwendwa and CEO Robert Muthomi, who were sued by former FKF boss Sam Nyamweya in this case, were ordered by the court to desist from interfering with the affairs of the Kenya Premier League Limited.
"A declaration be and is hereby issued that the Kenyan Premier League shall have a maximum of 16 teams during the 2017 season, consisting of (14) teams who qualified for sporting merit on the field during the 2016 league season plus the two highest ranked teams at the end of the 2016 league season in FKF's National Super League," the ruling states in part.
"An order be and is hereby issued directing both the FKF and KPL to fully respect and implement the FKF-KPL agreement during the period 2017-2020."
The top flight football league currently consists 18 teams, a decision that was arrived at after a six-month bickering between KPL and FKF officials. This move ultimately cost the competition a lucrative sponsorship deal with South Africa's pay-TV channel Supersport.
