The Murang’a High Court on Tuesday, 1st September, cleared the Football Kenya Federation to commence the 2026/2027 league season, clarifying that its orders subject to the use of the 2025 rules do not prevent the federation from running the league under the 2019 rules.
In its ruling on the application seeking to have the orders stopping the league’s commencement lifted, the court noted that the substantive petition does not conflict with FKF’s ability to start the season under the 2019 rules. The court instructed the FKF to proceed with the season based on the 2019 regulations, which include the mandatory promotion and relegation playoff that has been at the center of the dispute.
FKF premier league logo
“Regarding the start of the 2026/2027 league season, the court says both sides agree that FKF is legally allowed to run the national league under the 2019 Federation of Kenya Football rules and regulations. These 2019 rules are not affected by the current case and were not part of the court orders issued on 12, 2026.” Lady Justice Dorah Chepkwony clarified that FKF was only stopped from using the 2025 rules to start the season with automatic relegation without having the required playoff matches.
The court has stopped FKF from using the disputed 2025 rules to start the league season with automatic relegation. However, FKF is free to run the season under the 2029 rules, which require teams facing relegation to play a mandatory playoff.