Tussle for running of Kenyan Premier League far from over
Kenyan Premier League Chief Executive Officer Jack Oguda fields questions from the press at a past event.
What you need to know:
- The federation president Nick Mwendwa has repeatedly said they will not renew the contract and instead form another body to manage the league
- Oguda told Nation Sport that the fate of the KPL would be known after the Football Kenya Federation elections slated for next month
- KPL and FKF also had a long protracted battle on increasing the number of clubs in the top tier league from 16 to 18
What next for Kenyan Premier League?
The league body, registered as a company, has been running the top professional football league in the country for close to two decades now.
But their latest agreement with Football Kenya Federation to manage the leauge on behalf of FKF ended yesterday.
The federation president Nick Mwendwa has repeatedly said they will not renew the contract and instead form another body to manage the league.
Football Kenya Federation president Nick Mwendwa addresses journalists at Safari Park Hotel on December 7, 2019.
The FKF chief executive officer Barry Otieno reiterated the same stance on Thursday.
“As a federation we have been very consistent that we are not going to renew the agreement with KPL. There is a new entity known as Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF-PL) that will run the top league from this coming season.”
However the KPL chief executive officer Jack Oguda says their future will be determined by the decision to be taken by 18 clubs which are their shareholders.
Oguda told Nation Sport that the fate of the KPL would be known after the Football Kenya Federation elections slated for next month.
“Yes our contract has ended and the work we have done for the past 17 years is evident on the management of Kenyan football. As at now I can't say that KPL has be disbanded or has become defunct. That depends on what the share holders (KPL) clubs will decide and after the FKF elections. That is when it will be evident if we exist or not," he said.
But even as Oguda hangs on to the survival of KPL, Otieno said the federation had already moved ahead in arranging for the management of the league
“A committee that is led by Ulinzi Stars’ Colonel Erick Oloo is in place and it’s working on the smooth transition from the KPL to FKF,” he said.
Ulinzi Stars chairman Col. Erick Oloo talks to players and officials when the Nation Media Group delegation paid a courtesy call on the Kenyan Premier League team at Kabete Barracks on November 18, 2019.
“What we want known from the onset is that as a federation we are not interested in the day to day running of the league, that will be the work of the FKF-PL and in line with the best practices of the world, the clubs will directly be in charge of the running of their own league but the federation will still be in charge of the technical aspect of the game like appointment of referees and such things,”
“We are in touch with all the clubs and want the best for the Kenyan top-tier. Discussions are still ongoing with the clubs on how best to move forward from KPL and we have their interests at heart. It is the beginning of a new era and we want the league to flourish.”
But questions have already been raised over the legality of the committee formed by the federation to work on managing the league.
The federation currently does not have any of its decision making bodies, the National Executive committee and the Governing Council.
Football Kenya Federation President Nick Mwendwa (centre) addresses journalists at Kandanda House in Kasarani on June 3, 2020.
The Sports Dispute Tribunal has in fact ruled that the office of the federation president and that of its NEC are not the same.
Mwendwa announced the formation of the committee and even picked the person to chair the body.
The FKF president, whose term ended in December but has stayed in office pending elections that have twice been nullified by the SDT, has on several occasions made it clear that the term of KPL would not be extended as his predecessor Sam Nyamweya did in 2015.
The federation last month announced signing a Sh1.2 billion naming rights deal with betting firm BetKing Kenya.
FKF and KPL have been feuding since Mwendwa was elected in 2016.
The league body recently took FKF to court accusing the federation president of overstepping his mandate by declaring Gor Mahia champions and halting the league prematurely on April 30 due to coronavirus pandemic.
Last laugh
The issue was determined last week and directions given that FKF decision was outside the confines of the law but it was a judgement that also poked holes on KPL for going to court without consulting all the league clubs.
KPL and FKF also had a long protracted battle on increasing the number of clubs in the top tier league from 16 to 18.
The latter though had the last laugh in 2017 after Fifa ordered KPL to allow two more clubs to be promoted to the league that season.
Consequently, Kariobangi Sharks, Nakumatt, Nzoia Sugar and Zoo Kericho were promoted from the second-tier National Super League while Ushuru and Nairobi City Stars were relegated.
