More confusion in Kenyan football as SDT says FKF NEC illegal
Sports Disputes Tribunal chairman John Ohaga addressing the media in Nairobi in the past.
What you need to know:
- The ruling by the John Ohaga-led tribunal means the promotion and relegation from last season's FKF-PL, National Super League, Women Premier League and FKF Division One stands.
- The FKF NEC had on November 9 had declared 2021/22 season leagues null and void just days after being reinstated back to the office by Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba.
The Sports Disputes Tribunal on Tuesday quashed the decision of the Football Kenya Federation National Executive Committee to nullify 2021/22 season leagues.
The ruling by the John Ohaga-led tribunal means the promotion and relegation from last season's FKF-PL, National Super League, Women Premier League and FKF Division One stands.
The FKF NEC had on November 9 had declared 2021/22 season leagues null and void just days after being reinstated back to the office by Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba.
However, in a ruling that is likely to create another standstill in Kenyan football, Ohaga said NEC is illegally in office because its reinstatement has no basis in law after it was disbanded by Namwamba’s predecessor Amina Mohamed in November last year.
“The FKF NEC is in office illegally. The federation has no NEC since they didn’t even challenge a case in court which declared so,” Ohaga told Nation Sport Tuesday evening.
Ohaga said that a detailed ruling will be released on Wednesday.
This means Administration Police Service Bomet and Fortune Sacco will participate in the topflight league which enters its fourth round this weekend.
Mathare United and Vihiga Bullets stand relegated and will participate in the National Super League.
Dimba Patriots, Kona Rangers na Mayenje Santos have also now cemented their promotion from the Division One League to the NSL unless the respondents appeal the decision.
The teams had been excluded in the fixtures after the SDT on November 16 issued stay orders after APS Bomet and Kona Rangers challenged NEC’S decision at the tribunal.
At the same time, Ohaga said even though the FKF Transition Committee was illegal (having surpassed the Caretaker Committee's tenure under the law), the football clubs participating in 2021/2022 season had "legitimate expectation" that the leagues were being run in order on the basis of the declarations of the Sports Ministry, thus it would be an injustice to deny these clubs promotion.
The SDT also gave Namwamba 30 days to put mechanisms and a body which will be in charge of football in the country.
