League expansion row heightens as FKF convenes meeting with KPL

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has called for a meeting with the Kenyan Premier League Limited together with the league’s club chairpersons to discuss the composition of the country’s top-tier league on Saturday at Nairobi’s Kasarani Stadium.

In a press statement sent to newsrooms on Thursday afternoon, FKF boss Nick Mwendwa seeks to resolve pertinent issues including clubs representation in the KPL and the onward management of the league.

This comes barely a day after world governing body FIFA stepped into the ongoing standoff between the federation and KPL with former having moved to court seeking to bar the federation from discussing the proposed league expansion from the current 16 to 18 teams during its Annual General Meeting (AGM).

According to the letter from FIFA, the mandate to organize top-tier competitions belongs to FKF and whose powers include that of delegating the authority to run competitions to a subordinate league and, in this case, KPL.

“The FKF president’s move has been necessitated by a letter from FIFA in regard to leagues management in the country and concerns that, KPL as currently constituted is ineligible to own, run, organize and manage the Association’s Football Leagues as it ostensibly does and claims,” part of the statement read.

FKF further unmasks damning revelations that contrary to the popular belief that the KPL Ltd is owned by the 16 football clubs comprising the league, its company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association reveal that its shares are owned by just four  clubs; Xcel Africa Ltd. (Mathare United) through its Chairman, Bob Munro, AFC Leopards SC through one Voltaire M. Kegode, Gor Mahia FC through the then Secretary General, Fred Odera and the defunct Sher Agencies Ltd. Through the then Secretary General, Vitalis Osodo.

“In this perspective, and in the interest of football development in the country, the FKF president has moved with speed to convene the said meeting in an effort aimed at safe guarding the integrity of Kenyan football and ensuring equity for all involved,” an excerpt of the statement reads.

On Tuesday, Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) adjourned the hearing of a case brought before it by KPL against FKF over the constitution of the top flight competition after KPL’s request to study the replying affidavit presented to SDT Chairman, John Ohaga, was granted.

Mwendwa has maintained that four National Super League (NSL) sides will be be promoted into the KPL at the second-tier league at the end of the season with the customary relegation of two teams from the KPL set to be upheld.

However, KPL have fiercely fought back at the idea, maintaining that the addition of two teams to the top flight will be cost inhibiting with the 16 member teams equally resisting the idea of sharing revenues accruing to title and broadcast rights beyond the current deals.