LICENCES FOR CLUBS: KPL and NSL teams face stringet Fifa, CAF rules to enter competitions

Posta Rangers midfielder Moses Otieno (right) tackes Gor Mahia's Francis Kahata during their Sportpesa Premier league match at Nyayo Stadium on Feb 21, 2016. [PHOTO:DENNIS OKEYO/STANDARD]

Football Kenya Federation will implement tough new rules for management of top clubs from next year. This is in line with requirements by world governing body Fifa that club’s be licensed before they can be allowed to take part in the top leagues.

In Kenya’s situation, the new rules will affect Kenyan Premier League (KPL) and National Super League clubs as from next year. The rules if implemented to the letter as required by Fifa and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) could see a number of clubs denied license to take part in either the KPL or second division league and demoted to lower leagues.

To be granted a license by FKF, the clubs will be required to adhere to certain requirements among them have an operating office. They also need proof that they have adequate finances to run their operations for a particular season, have infrastructure as well as employ personnel and operate within the required legal mandate.

Currently, a good number of local clubs cannot meet this requirements and it remains doubtful whether they can put it in place before next season. Lack of finance has particularly been a big problem for local teams with most of them unable to pay players. Furthermore, only a handful of clubs have an office from which they operate from.

According to FKF Chief Executive Robert Muthomi, clubs have no choice but to adhere to the requirements if they want to take part in either the KPL or the second division. “This is not our idea. It is a requirement by Fifa and CAF. We have no choice but to implement as from next year,” he said.

To help the clubs understand better the licensing requirements, FKF has organised for a two-day club licensing workshop at Strathmore University on Friday and Saturday. A total of 36 clubs from the KPL and Super League have been invited to the workshop to be facilitated by three CAF instructors namely-Sunday Kayuni, Antony Baffoe and Kabelo Bosilong. On its part, the federation has formed a five member Licensing committee that will decide which clubs have met the criteria to be given a license. The committee will be chaired by Edwin Wamukoya with, Lilian Nzile, Paul Ochieng, Carol Mutunga and Peter Karanja as members.

KPL Chief Executive Jack Oguda while commenting on the move to introduce licensing admitted that it may be difficult for the 16 clubs to adhere with all the requirements at a go. We are waiting for the workshop and at the end of it, we will know whether our clubs can meet all the requirements. We may need to see what can be done now and what can be done later,” he said.

Oguda said KPL supports the move pointing out that it is the beginning of professionalism.