Presidential aspirant Eliud Owalo has called for an immediate resolution to the dispute surrounding the delayed start of the 2026/27 Kenyan Premier League season, urging Football Kenya Federation (FKF), club chairmen and the government to put aside their differences and allow the competition to begin.
Owalo, speaking on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, said the continued impasse was hurting clubs, players, sponsors and other stakeholders whose livelihoods depend on football.
The 2026/27 SportPesa Premier League was scheduled to begin on September 19, 2026, but FKF postponed the opening round indefinitely after a series of court orders complicated the federation’s plans.
The latest dispute centres on the regulations governing promotion and relegation.
Under the 2025 FKF regulations, the bottom three Premier League teams are automatically relegated, while three National Super League (NSL) sides earn automatic promotion. The framework therefore removes the promotion-relegation play-off.
The 2019 regulations, however, provided for a play-off involving the 16th-placed Premier League team and the third-placed NSL side.
The difference has placed Kariobangi Sharks and Mombasa United at the centre of the dispute. Sharks finished among the relegated sides in the 2025/26 Premier League, while Mombasa United finished third in the NSL.
A Murang’a High Court order issued on September 18, 2026, barred FKF from proceeding with the new season until the two clubs play the promotion-relegation play-off. A separate order from the Kiambu High Court directed FKF to publish provisional fixtures, including Mombasa United as the 18th team.
The conflicting court orders forced FKF to call off the September 19, 2026, fixtures, leaving clubs without a new confirmed kick-off date.
Owalo said the prolonged dispute had reached a point where the interests of the wider football fraternity should take precedence over individual or institutional positions.
“This is a moment for sobriety. It is a moment for reason not flexing muscles,” Owalo said.
“It is a moment when we must collectively stand up and demand an end to bickering, self-interest and infighting.”