Sportsmen, women, and anyone found guilty of match-fixing or manipulating games could soon face criminal charges. This follows a new bill introduced in Parliament that seeks to criminalise the practice
The Sport Amendment Bill of 2026, sponsored by Nominated MP Irene Mayaka, seeks to criminalise the vice and impose fines and penalties along with related issues such as age cheating and abuse.
The tabling was confirmed by parliament on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
If passed, the proposed law will, for the first time, provide a clear legal framework to deal with match manipulation, an issue that has increasingly threatened the credibility of sporting competitions both locally and internationally.
Efforts to fight the vice in Kenya have been consistently thwarted by a lack of dedicated laws to push and prosecute offenders. The loophole leaves only FKF, through its integrity wing, and theinternational governing body (FIFA) to impose bans on players found culpable.
According to the bill, manipulation of a sports competition will include actions such as offering or receiving bribes to influence the outcome of a match, deliberately underperforming to alter results, conspiring with others to fix competitions, or misusing insider information for betting purposes.
Closing gaps
The proposed definition closes gaps that have previously made it difficult to prosecute offenders, effectively making fair play a legal obligation rather than merely a sporting principle.
In a wider scheme to curb the vice, the legislation additionally seeks to strengthen the mandate of the Sports Kenya, giving the agency authority to receive reports of suspected match manipulation and investigate them in collaboration with other law enforcement and regulatory bodies.
The bill also provides for redress for athletes, clubs, and other stakeholders who feel aggrieved by decisions made by Sports Kenya to appeal to the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT), the independent judicial body tasked with resolving sports-related disputes, providing a structured dispute resolution mechanism within the sports sector.
Disciplinary measures
Offenders, whether professional players or clubs implicated in such activities, could face disciplinary measures, including forfeiture of matches, suspension from competitions, or even lifetime bans from regulated sporting events, among other far-reaching conseuquences.
Individuals found guilty of manipulating sports competitions could face a fine of up to Sh1 million, imprisonment for up to one year, or both.
Taking root?
The bill further provides that any financial gain derived from manipulating sports competitions will be confiscated by the state, denying offenders the proceeds of illegal activities.
The practice has been a major concern for football stakeholders and fans in recent days, with the concession of dubious goals in the country’s top-tier league, the FKF Premier League, cited as clear evidence of the vice.
A number of coaches have also come out to acknowledge that the vice remains rampant within Kenyan football circles.
In March 2025, the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) launched an investigation into goalkeeper Patrick Matasi following a controversial 4-1 loss to Cameroon in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
