FKF-PL: Confusion galore as parallel leagues in the offing

Football Kenya Federation Transition Committee have earmarked August 27 as the kick-off date for the 2022/23 FKF Premier League campaign.

The FKF Transition Committee has also set September 3 as the date for the kick off of FKF Women Premier League.

Tusker and Vihiga Queens are the defending men and women league champions respectively.

This comes as the Robert Macharia-led FKF Management Committee, comprised of  branches, also plans to release its own fixtures after the burial of the Kisumu County Branch Chairman Gilbert Ndolo who died in a road accident on July 1.  

The FKF Management Committee was to release its fixtures this weekend but will do so after Ndolo's funeral. 

Interestingly, FKF Management Committee and Transition Committee have set the same date for the league's kick-off and it remains to be seen who will win the hearts of top tier clubs.  

According to FKF Transition Committee Head of Competitions Ali Amour, they have already drafted the fixtures but are still consulting with the clubs before making them public.

The term of the committee expires at the end of August but Amour says they won’t exit until they do their report and hand over to the government.

Kenya is still serving a Fifa suspension issued back in February after the government disbanded the Nick Mwendwa-led FKF in November last year due to alleged misappropriation of funds.

“All is set for the new season since fixtures for the senior men’s and women's league have been drafted. We will be holding a meeting with FKF-PL clubs to plan and strategise for the new season as we plan to leave a properly structured league next season,” said Amour.

While Amour is optimistic that all is well and the league will kick off as planned, Nairobi East Chairman Amos Otieno who is the Vice Chairperson of the FKF Management Committee, also claims they are in touch with league clubs and will issue their own fixtures. 

“There is no turning back. As branches we can’t just watch as our league is being mismanaged and when the term of the Transition Committee ends, they should cease managing the league. We are also in consultation with clubs and will release our fixtures after the burial of Kisumu Branch chairman,” Otieno told Nation Sport.