The start of the 2026/27 FKF Premier League has been thrown into further uncertainty after the Milimani High Court clarified its earlier status quo order in the Kariobangi Sharks relegation case.
In the matter filed by FKF, Justice Janet Mulwa on Monday directed the parties to maintain the position that existed on August 10, when the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) delivered its ruling on Sharks’ challenge to their relegation.
The matter will return to court on September 21 for further directions.
The development effectively prevents the federation from proceeding with the new season while the Nairobi court orders remain in force.
FKF had earlier failed in its bid to lift the orders blocking the league’s kick-off and has since postponed all Round One fixtures that had been scheduled between August 31 and September 2, 2026.
How the dispute started
At the centre of the standoff is the promotion and relegation framework used by FKF.
Kariobangi Sharks finished 16th in the 18-team Premier League last season and were relegated under the 2025 regulations, which provided for three automatic relegations and three direct promotions from the National Super League.
Sharks challenged the decision before the Sports Disputes Tribunal, arguing that the 2019 regulations should apply. Under those rules, only the bottom two Premier League teams would be automatically relegated, while the team finishing 16th would play a promotion-relegation playoff against the third-placed NSL side.
The tribunal upheld FKF’s position, prompting Sharks to move to the High Court. The Nairobi proceedings have since become a major obstacle to the start of the new campaign.
The legal uncertainty has been compounded by a separate case at the High Court in Murang’a. In that matter, Justice Dorah Chepkwony directed that the league could proceed under the 2019 FKF regulations, creating a parallel legal position that has further complicated the league’s composition and kick-off.
FKF has also questioned whether the Milimani High Court has jurisdiction to hear Sharks’ challenge, maintaining that the appropriate avenue for challenging the tribunal decision is the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Clubs caught in the uncertainty
The dispute has left clubs, players and other stakeholders uncertain over when competitive football will resume.
Teams had already completed much of their pre-season preparations, including recruitment, training and friendly matches, based on the planned start of the 2026/27 campaign. A prolonged delay could affect player contracts, coaching programmes, stadium arrangements and the wider domestic football calendar.
Newly promoted sides are also caught in the uncertainty, with the final composition of the league dependent on how the competing interpretations of the promotion and relegation rules are ultimately resolved.
FKF says it has postponed the opening round to allow consultations involving the federation, participating clubs and league sponsors before a revised schedule is issued.
AFCON 2027 adds pressure
The impasse comes at a particularly sensitive time for Kenyan football, with Kenya preparing to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations alongside Uganda and Tanzania.
CAF has confirmed that AFCON 2027 will run from June 19 to July 17, 2027, with Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania automatically qualified as co-hosts. The tournament will be the first AFCON jointly hosted by three countries and the first edition to return to East Africa since Ethiopia staged the competition in 1976.
With less than a year to the tournament, the disruption to Kenya’s top-flight league has raised wider questions about the stability and governance of the domestic game.
For now, the fate of the 2026/27 FKF Premier League remains tied to the ongoing court proceedings, with clubs and fans waiting for clarity on when the new season can finally begin.
