FKF nullify 2022 FKF-PL, NSL seasons, set dates for new campaign
Tusker players celebrate with the trophy after winning the Football Kenya Federation Premier League on June 12, 2022 at Ruaraka grounds.
What you need to know:
- The NEC passed that the "2021/2022 FKF Premier League, National Super League, Women Premier League, Men’s Division One and Women’s Division One leagues will not be recognised and have been declared null and void", a decision that will most likely attract a litany of litigation from clubs that had been prompted or won the titles in the previous season.
Football Kenya Federation National Executive Committee on Wednesday made a raft of resolutions on their first sitting since they were reinstated back into office by Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba last week.
The NEC passed that the "2021/2022 FKF Premier League, National Super League, Women Premier League, Men’s Division One and Women’s Division One leagues will not be recognised and have been declared null and void", a decision that will most likely attract a litany of litigation from clubs that had been prompted or won the titles in the previous season.
Tusker won the FKF-PL title, while APS Bomet were crowned champions in the National Super League and thus promoted to the top flight. Fortune Sacco were also promoted to the top tier after finishing second in the league run by the FKF Caretaker Committee.
Dimba Patriots, Kona Rangers na Mayenje Santos were promoted from the Division One League to the NSL.
"There will be no promotion or relegation in the FKF Premier League, National
Super League and Women Premier League," said a statement signed by the federation's CEO Barry Otieno.
Also, the NEC resolved that the 2022/23 FKF Premier League season will kick off on November 19 while the Nationals Super League will be on November 26. The Kick off dates for the FKF Women Premier league, Women Div One league and Men’s Division One league will be December 3.
"The 2021/2022 FKF Division Two, Regional and County leagues run by FKF
Branches, in accordance with the FKF statutes and the FKF Rules and Regulations (2019) Governing Kenyan Football shall be recognised and their decisions upheld."
"The 2021/2022 FKF Division Two, Regional and County leagues will promote
and relegate clubs in their respective tiers. That the Men’s and Women’s Division One leagues will be expanded for the season 2022/2023 to include teams promoted from the FKF Div Two and Women Regional
Leagues, respectively."
"The resolution by the FKF National Executive Committee has been guided by FKF Statutes, FIFA statutes, FKF Rules and Regulations (2019) and the Sports Dispute Tribunal rulings on a number of cases filed at the Tribunal, regarding the 2021/2022 League season," Otieno added.
Kenya's then Sports Cabinet Secretary, Amina Mohamed, on November 11 last year disbanded the Nick Mwendwa-led Football Kenya Federation and installed a Caretaker Committee to, among other things, run football activities in accordance with the federation's constitution.
Amina appointed Retired Justice Aaron Ringera to lead the caretaker committee, while journalist Lindah Oguttu was installed as the head of the secretariat. The Caretaker Committee mutated into the Transition Committee after its initial six months mandate ended.
Meanwhile, officials of County Football Associations have taken issue with the way Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba reinstated the Football Kenya Federation National Executive Committee, terming it illegal.
Led by Trans Nzoia County Football Association Secretary Zacharia Ndungu, the officials said the decision to disband NEC by Namwamba's predecessor Amina Mohamed was upheld by the High Court ruling on May 10.
The officials were from Trans Nzoia, Vihiga, Nandi, Markwet, Taita Taveta, Machakos, Uasin Gishu, Nairobi, Mandera and Mombasa counties and sought audience with Namwamba at his Maktaba Kuu offices on Thursday.
“FKF lost the court case challenging their disbandment in the High Court. This has never been contested. How come they are being reinstated yet they are non-existent. We want to advise the minister on this because this is a decision that should be rescinded because it amounts to contempt of court,” said Ndungu.
