FKF cracks whip on 3 referees following review of recent league matches
The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Referees Committee has handed sanctions to three match officials after carrying out an evaluation of recent Kenyan Premier League encounters over concerns surrounding their officiating standards.
In a statement released on Saturday, May 9, 2026, FKF said the action was taken jointly with the Instructors’ Technical Group after a virtual sitting conducted on April 30, 2026, where officials reviewed video footage from matches, reports from assessors, observations from match commissioners, and other technical assessments linked to refereeing performances.
Referees punished
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After the review process, referees Phanuel Omire, Samuel Kuria, and Edwin Bobiya were deemed not to have met the expected standards required in the top-flight league.
The committee raised issues touching on judgment during matches, interpretation of the Laws of the Game, game administration, concentration levels, teamwork, and coordination between officials.
”Following the review, referees Phanuel Omire, Samuel Kuria and Edwin Bobiya were found to have fallen short of the officiating standards expected at SportPesa League level. The committee identified concerns relating to decision-making, application of the Laws of the Game, match management, concentration, teamwork, and coordination among match officials.” The statement said.
As a result, Omire has been suspended for three rounds of matches and relegated to officiating in the FKF National Super League as he awaits additional technical evaluation.
Meanwhile, Kuria and Bobiya have each received two-match suspensions and have also been dropped to the FKF National Super League.
Close supervision
FKF has noted that the three officials will continue to undergo close assessment from instructors, assessors, and match commissioners, with any possible return to top-tier assignments depending on improved performances in future evaluations.
The federation further reiterated its dedication to maintaining quality officiating, accountability, and continued training and development of referees across domestic competitions.
This comes shortly after FKF took firm disciplinary action against several match officials, after determining that their decisions had a direct impact on the outcome of recent Premier League matches in February.
Following an extensive assessment conducted by the FKF National Referees Committee on Tuesday, February 19, 2026, three officials were relegated to lower-tier duties for failing to meet the required officiating standards at the top-flight level.
