Kenyan Premier League: Fate of 18-team league to be known on Wednesday

TURNING POINT: AMBROSE DICKSON OTIENO RACHIER

Teams will have to wait until tomorrow to know the fate of next season’s league after a joint meeting of Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and its affiliate Kenyan Premier League (KPL) postponed a ruling on the matter.

After deliberations yesterday, the the meeting instead resolved to let a joint committee comprising officials from the two bodies to discuss the issue and report to it on the way forward by tomorrow.

Both KPL and FKF will also come up with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to be discussed in tomorrow’s final meeting. Should an agreement be reached, the MOU will be signed.

“On January 19, 2015, FKF/KPL Joint Executive Committee resolved to refer composition of KPL League 2015 to the Technical task force constituted on November 17, 2014, and table its recommendations on Wednesday January 21, 2015 and report to JEC,” read a joint statement released after yesterday’s meeting.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The taskforce comprises FKF vice chairman Robert Asembo Michael Esakwa who is the Chief Executive of the federation, while from the KPL, Chief Executive Jack Oguda and KCB chairman George Odhiambo are  members.

The task force will specifically look into the financial implications of having an 18-team league and present its report to tomorrow’s meeting.

“The FKF/KPL Joint executive committee was held in a cordial atmosphere with both parties committed in drawing a roadmap for a better working relationship,” concluded the joint statement.

Elsewhere, Tusker forward Jesse Were is unlikely to leave the club.

Were was a target for St.George’s of Ethiopia and a Tunisian club but so far nothing has come out of it and Tusker Director Charles Obiny has hinted that the player could stay for at least another season.

“So far, nothing has come out of those two foreign clubs who wanted him and it looks like he will be with us for another season. We are not selling him locally and should his move fail then we will keep him,” he told said.

Obiny also warned Tusker’s rivals that the brewers are on course to building a very strong squad for the new season.

“We are yet to release the list of our foreign legion but I want to say that we have identified some really great players and very soon we will unveil them. This makes us a strong contender for the title.”