SPL postponement leaves Kenyan football in fresh crisis

FKF president Hussein Mohammed. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

The postponement of the 2026-27 SportPesa Premier League has left Kenyan football facing fresh questions over planning, professionalism and respect for the rules of the beautiful game.

The league was supposed to kick off Saturday, but Football Kenya Federation (FKF) was forced to halt the opening round after a Murang’a High Court order directed that the new season should not begin before the promotion and relegation play-off between Mombasa United and Kariobangi Sharks is played and determined.

FKF informed clubs of the decision through a brief statement, saying: “We regret to inform all participating clubs and partners that the League kick-off has been postponed until further notice.”

The consequences are immediate.

Some clubs had already travelled to their venues for matches that will now not be played. Players and officials had completed their preparations, while supporters had made travel plans and bought tickets.

The postponement therefore means clubs, fans and other stakeholders will have to deal with additional costs and, in the case of match tickets, refunds. FKF will also have to explain how the affected fixtures will be rearranged without creating another pile-up in an already tight football calendar.

The bigger concern is what the delay means for Kenyan clubs involved in continental competitions and the national team as the country prepares for major assignments.

Tusker captain Abud Omar has described the latest development as frustrating, warning that players cannot maintain their sharpness without regular competitive matches.

“I’ve just woken up to the news that the league has been cancelled again, and honestly, it’s so frustrating,” said Omar.

“We have continental competitions and national team games coming up. How are we supposed to compete at the highest level when we don’t have enough competitive matches to maintain our fitness and sharpness?”

His concerns come at a difficult time for Kenyan football.

Kenya will co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) with Uganda and Tanzania, with preparations for the tournament already underway. A strong domestic competition is expected to provide a regular platform for players to remain match-fit and give national team coaches a wider pool of competitive players.

The postponement also comes after the football calendar had been aligned towards an August start, in an effort to bring the Kenyan league closer to the international football calendar.

Instead, the new season has again been caught in an administrative and legal dispute before a ball has been kicked.

How did Kenyan football find itself here?

The current crisis stems from the promotion and relegation dispute involving Mombasa United and Kariobangi Sharks. Rather than resolving the matter before the season began, the dispute has now spilled into the opening weekend and forced FKF to stop the entire league.

It raises a difficult question, could this have been avoided?

Omar believes Kenyan football needs to return to proper management and professionalism.

“10 years ago, the Kenyan Premier League was among the better leagues in Africa,” he said.

“But look at where we are today. Many of our neighbouring countries have moved ahead of us because they have invested in better management, infrastructure and professionalism.”

For clubs that had planned their budgets, players who had prepared for the opening weekend and fans who had invested their time and money, the latest postponement is more than a change of fixtures.

It is another disruption to a football calendar that was supposed to bring stability.

And with Afcon 2027 drawing closer, Kenyan football cannot afford more uncertainty.

“We regret to inform all participating clubs and partners that the League kick-off has been postponed until further notice.”