By Mark Baber
September 22 – The High Court’s ruling that the Kenyan Premier League should revert to a 16-club competition with immediate effect and nullification of the recent adoption of CAF/FIFA club licensing requirements will be challenged by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) in the country’s Appeal Court.
In a case brought by former head of the FKF, Sam Nyamweya (pictured), High Court Judge Justice John Mativo ruled that: “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.”
“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 FKF issued a statement, illustrating hostility between the current and past FKF office holders remains a powerful force and saying: “FKF acknowledges receipt of the decision by High Court Judge, Justice John Mativo, declaring that the 2017 Kenyan Premier League Season be reverted to a 16 club league, following a petition launched by one Sam Nyamweya.”
“We wish to clarify that we shall be tendering our appeal at the Court of Appeal in due course in an effort aimed at protecting the sanctity of the sport.”
“The federation remains committed to its footballing mission and will not be distracted by the ongoing effort by a section of disgraced former Football Administrators, keen on suffocating the development of the game at all levels.
“We shall also be providing an update to FIFA on the judicial development locally as we further seek to tap on their technical capacity in our forthcoming Appeal Suit.”
For his part, Nyamweya welcomed the ruling, which could see Zoo Kericho FC and Nakumatt FC relegated to the second-tier. “Having been a key stakeholder at the signing of the KPL/FKF agreement, I found it necessary to follow that channel after the developments that I felt were not good for Kenya’s football,” he said.
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