Why FKF top brass snubbed Tusker’s coronation
The conspicuous absence of top Football Kenya Federation officials during Tusker FC’s coronation as the 2016 Kenyan Premier League champions on Saturday at the Nyayo Stadium has fueled speculation of a breakdown in relationship between them and Kenyan Premier League Limited.
Tusker FC were crowned the competition’s 2016 champions on the day, and their players were awarded their medals in a glittering ceremony by among others, the outgoing Kenya Premier League chairman Ambrose Rachier.
The KPL title coronation is one of the biggest moments in Kenyan football’s annual calendar.
As a matter of fact this event has in the past been graced by former FKF presidents, their lieutenants, members of the corporate world and high ranking politicians including former Prime Minister and diehard fan Raila Odinga.
This wasn’t the case on Saturday.
COMPOSITION OF THE LEAGUE
And even though both FKF president Nick Mwendwa and KPL’s CEO Jack Oguda were unavailable for comment, the suspicion is that the former kept away owing to a tussle with KPL officials.
FKF and KPL have differed over the composition of the league. While KPL wants the number of teams in the league to remain 16, FKF has been pushing for an 18-team competition.
On Friday, Mwendwa maintained that the competition should be expanded to accommodate the additional teams.
“We are in talks and want to arrive at a solution over this matter once and for all. I believe in a few weeks’ time we shall have found the way forward. I want the Kenyan Premier League to have 18 teams,” said Mwendwa while attending a football function at the camp Toyoyo grounds in Nairobi.
