Daggers drawn: KPL moves to Sports Tribunal ahead of AGM

KPL CEO Jack Oguda addressing media during the DSTV/SuperSport Cup date announcement on 9-2-2015 in Nairobi. The Gor vs Sofapaka match will be played on 11th Feb. at Nyayo Stadium.PHOTO.DENNIS OKEYO

Daggers are drawn even before today’s fourth Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) in Nairobi.

Eager to protect their turf, the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) on Thursday moved to the Sports Tribunal to try and compel the federation from discussing the league expansion from 16 to 18 teams.

However, according to KPL CEO Jack Oguda, they are not against the league expansion, but how it’s being done by the newly elected FKF office.

“It’s true we have put in a request at the Sports Tribunal for interpretation of the agreement that was signed last year by the previous FKF office. The hearing is today (Friday). We are not against the league’s expansion, but how it’s done,” Oguda told Feverpitch.

“Both parties should sit down and discuss the issue in a joint executive committee meeting before going to the AGM. We have tried to convene the meeting but FKF have never honoured the request.

“As per the agreement, the earliest an 18-team league can be adopted is 2018. That’s why we have petitioned them against discussing it in the AGM.”

But this is not anything new in the Kenyan football circles. The battle to increase the number of teams in the top league started two years ago and KPL had their way in the first round. But will they succeed this time round?

The stakes are too high especially with the newly elected FKF office keen to stamp their authority.

The motion itself is most likely going to be passed and this could be the reason KPL opted to go to the tribunal and stop its discussion.

Majority of those expected to attend the meeting are known to favour an expanded top league and will therefore pass it without question. However, the big question is how FKF will implement the decision especially if the KPL Governing Council rejects it.

Apart from the expansion of the top league, today’s meeting will also discuss the agenda of making minimal changes to the constitution as well seek permission from the congress to make comprehensive constitutional changes.

The congress has also lined-up an agenda of either approving or rejecting suspensions slapped on certain entities and people by the federation’s executive committee.

Two months ago, FKF announced that it had suspended clubs and organisers of the Extreme Sports Super Eight Tournament for running a tournament outside the established structures.

If the suspensions are approved today, the affected individuals will be locked out of all mainstream football activities until 2022 and those wishing to contest in federation elections in 2020 will not be able to do so.

Another key agenda that is likely to be approved is the turning of current FKF branches into counties. This was a big campaign agenda for Nick Mwendwa’s group who wanted it to be approved before the elections that brought him to power.

However, Fifa rejected this suggestion. But if it’s approved today, there will be no branch positions to be contested for in the in the next elections but just county posts.