KPL/FKF squabble over composition of top tier league
The Kenyan Premier League on Friday gained an upper hand in a fresh battle with Football Kenya Federation over whether or not to increase the number of clubs competing in the top flight football competition.
This is after the Kenya Premier League officials secured a temporary injunction at the Sports Disputes Tribunal, which barred Saturday FKF’s AGM from discussing this subject.
FKF president Nick Mwendwa has been vocal in his campaign to have the number of teams featuring in the Kenyan Premier League increased from 16 to 18 a position which is not shared by the KPL management.
“All we are asking for is an interpretation of the rules, because we already have a Memorandum of Understanding in place with FKF on how this matter should be discussed,” KPL’s Chief Executive Jack Oguda told Nairobi News.
FKF, through its spokesman Barry Otieno, has however dismissed the MOU document which was signed between KPL and the previous FKF office led by then president Sam Nyamweya, claiming it is meant to “benefit a chosen few.”
“As a federation, it is our position that the MOU from the onset was tailored to maintain the status quo and stifle football development in the country by benefitting a chosen few,” Otieno said.
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
Otieno in particular took issue with Clause 1.3 of the MOU whose contents were agreed upon and signed on September 24, 2015 by among others, four senior football executives at the time namely, Nyamweya and then FKF CEO Mike Esakwa on behalf of the federation, plus KPL chairman and CEO Ambrose Rachier and Oguda.
The Clause states in part: “Neither FKF or KPL may have more votes than the other by way of having additional members present. KPL shall have the casting vote in the event of a tied vote.”
If FKF were to have it their way, the two bottom clubs in the KPL will be relegated at the end of the season and by replaced by four teams from the National Super League.
This is the third time in as many years that both FKF and KPL are squabbling over this subject.
Coincidentally, on the last occasion, the matter spilled over to the commercial courts, forcing a threat by Fifa to ban Kenya from all competitions.
A Memorandum of Understanding was eventually signed between the previous FKF office and KPL in the presence of Fifa, a document that has since been dishonoured.
