SPL conundrum: Premier league kickoff in jeopardy

Tusker defender Eugene Ikutwa tackles Gor Mahia winger Shariff Musa (down) during their 2026 FKF Super Cup match at Nyayo Stadium on August 23. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Once again, the SportPesa Premier League has been thrown back into uncertainty after the High Court in Murang’a stopped the 2026-2027 season from starting as earlier planned today.

The latest court order is a major blow to clubs that had already prepared for the new campaign, with some teams having travelled across the country ahead of fixtures scheduled for this weekend

Justice Dorah Chepkwony ruled that the new season cannot begin until a promotion and relegation playoff between Kariobangi Sharks and Mombasa United is played.

The order followed an application by Evans Nduta challenging the planned start of the season. Nduta is also challenging the use of the 2025 Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Rules, which are at the centre of the long-running dispute over promotion and relegation.

The case will be heard on Thursday, leaving FKF, who are the league organisers, with little time to decide their next move.

The latest development means clubs that had spent weeks preparing for the new season are once again left waiting. Teams had already arranged travel, accommodation and match preparations, only for the league schedule to be thrown into doubt at the last minute.

The 2026/27 season was already delayed by almost a month because of earlier court cases challenging the legality of the 2025 FKF Rules and their use instead of the 2019 Rules.

The disagreement centres on how clubs should move between the Premier League and the National Super League (NSL).

Under the 2019 Regulation Framework, the bottom two Premier League clubs are automatically relegated, while the top two NSL teams earn direct promotion. The team finishing 16th in the Premier League then plays a promotion-relegation playoff.

But the revised 2025 framework introduced a different system. It provides for three Premier League clubs to be relegated automatically and three NSL clubs to earn direct promotion, scrapping the playoff.

The attempt to apply the 2025 Rules during the previous season triggered court battles involving several affected clubs, including Kariobangi Sharks.

The legal dispute led to different directions from the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) and the High Court, making it difficult for FKF to settle the final make-up of the new 18-team Premier League.

That uncertainty has now spilt into the new season.

The latest ruling also raises questions over whether FKF will comply with the court order.

What was expected to be the start of a new season has instead become another legal hurdle, forcing FKF back to the drawing board.

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“The 2026-2027 season cannot start without a playoff between Kariobangi Sharks and Mombasa United.”

Justice Dorah Chepkwony, Murang’ a High Court.