Owalo calls for end to football standoff as KPL season remains suspended

Presidential aspirant Eliud Owalo has called for an immediate resolution to the dispute surrounding the delayed start of the 2026/27 Kenyan Premier League season, urging Football Kenya Federation (FKF), club chairmen and the government to put aside their differences and allow the competition to begin.

Owalo, speaking on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, said the continued impasse was hurting clubs, players, sponsors and other stakeholders whose livelihoods depend on football.

The 2026/27 SportPesa Premier League was scheduled to begin on September 19, 2026, but FKF postponed the opening round indefinitely after a series of court orders complicated the federation’s plans.

The latest dispute centres on the regulations governing promotion and relegation.

Under the 2025 FKF regulations, the bottom three Premier League teams are automatically relegated, while three National Super League (NSL) sides earn automatic promotion. The framework therefore removes the promotion-relegation play-off.

The 2019 regulations, however, provided for a play-off involving the 16th-placed Premier League team and the third-placed NSL side.

The difference has placed Kariobangi Sharks and Mombasa United at the centre of the dispute. Sharks finished among the relegated sides in the 2025/26 Premier League, while Mombasa United finished third in the NSL.

A Murang’a High Court order issued on September 18, 2026, barred FKF from proceeding with the new season until the two clubs play the promotion-relegation play-off. A separate order from the Kiambu High Court directed FKF to publish provisional fixtures, including Mombasa United as the 18th team.

The conflicting court orders forced FKF to call off the September 19, 2026, fixtures, leaving clubs without a new confirmed kick-off date.

Owalo said the prolonged dispute had reached a point where the interests of the wider football fraternity should take precedence over individual or institutional positions.

“This is a moment for sobriety. It is a moment for reason not flexing muscles,” Owalo said.

“It is a moment when we must collectively stand up and demand an end to bickering, self-interest and infighting.”

Owalo calls for dialogue

He called on all parties involved in the various court cases to withdraw them unconditionally and seek an administrative solution through dialogue.

Owalo also urged FKF President Hussein Mohammed, the federation’s National Executive Committee and Premier League club chairmen to meet urgently and agree on a way of restarting the season.

“This is NOT a time for grandstanding or vindication of who is right or wrong. Extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary measures,” he said.

The federation has maintained that the legal challenges and conflicting court orders left it with no option but to postpone the season, while expressing its commitment to finding a way forward. FKF has also invited Kariobangi Sharks and Mombasa United for discussions aimed at resolving the stalemate.

Owalo asks Mvurya to intervene

Owalo also called on Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya to take a more active leadership role in resolving the dispute.

He said the Ministry of Sports should help facilitate negotiations without interfering in the running of football.

“I call upon the Sports Cabinet Secretary, Hon. Salim Mvurya, to step up and offer leadership, NOT interference,” Owalo said.

“He should demonstrate leadership by negotiating a way out of the current quagmire. He cannot afford to fence-sit when our top division league is in shambles.”

His intervention comes as the prolonged dispute continues to raise concerns about the financial impact on clubs, players and commercial partners.

Reports have highlighted the financial strain caused by clubs continuing to prepare for matches while competitive football remains suspended, with teams still facing operational and player-related costs.

AFCON 2027 preparations

Owalo linked the domestic crisis to Kenya’s preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

The tournament is scheduled for June 19 to July 17, 2027. CAF President Patrice Motsepe said last week that the continental body remained committed to supporting the three host countries but acknowledged that challenges remained and urged them to accelerate preparations.

Owalo questioned how Kenya could prepare adequately for AFCON while its top domestic competition remains caught in a legal dispute.

“How can we be racing to be ready for AFCON when our domestic league is non-existent? Where will the Harambee Stars technical bench scout players from?” he posed.

He argued that the domestic league remains an important pathway for players seeking to establish themselves and potentially earn selection to the national team.

“We must spare ourselves this embarrassment and get our game back on track,” he said.

The political aspirant also warned that the dispute could undermine confidence among football’s commercial stakeholders at a time when Kenya is preparing for major international sporting events.

Praise for 2029 World Athletics Championships

Owalo also used the briefing to congratulate Athletics Kenya and the wider Kenyan athletics fraternity after Nairobi was awarded the 2029 World Athletics Championships.

World Athletics announced on September 15, 2026, that Nairobi would host the 2029 championships, making it the first African city to stage the senior outdoor World Athletics Championships. Munich was awarded the 2031 edition.

Owalo described the decision as a major opportunity for Kenya, citing the potential benefits to tourism, hospitality and employment.

“This was achieved through meticulous planning, hard work and years of lobbying by Athletics Kenya,” he said.

“There is no gainsaying that KENYA IS AN ATHLETICS POWERHOUSE.”

The 2029 championships are expected to further raise Kenya’s profile as a major athletics destination, with Kasarani Stadium set to host the event. Nairobi has previously staged the 2017 World Under-18 Championships and the 2021 World Under-20 Championships.

Owalo said the combination of the 2027 AFCON and the 2029 World Athletics Championships presents an opportunity for Kenya to showcase its sporting, tourism and hospitality sectors.

He nevertheless returned to the immediate football crisis, insisting that stakeholders should resolve their differences and get the domestic season underway.

“ONCE AGAIN, I call upon all parties to UNCONDITIONALLY withdraw all cases in Court and let the Kenyan Premier League begin,” he said.

“Billions of shillings in investment from league title sponsors and broadcast-rights holders are at stake, and so is the livelihood of our footballers. Let common sense prevail.”