The Football Kenya Federation Premier League is set to finally get underway on Saturday, 19 September, after FKF and participating clubs reached an agreement on the outstanding issues that had delayed the start of the 2026/27 season.
The agreement was reached during a meeting between FKF and club representatives on Wednesday, 16 September, bringing an end to weeks of uncertainty over the opening date of Kenya’s top-flight campaign.
FKF had originally scheduled the new season to begin on August 22, before pushing the date to August 29. The league remained on hold amid legal disputes surrounding the rules governing promotion and relegation.
Clubs sign agreement
The meeting resulted in a formal agreement between the federation and the clubs covering several outstanding matters, including the implementation of the foreign-player quota and match-day medical arrangements.
According to the agreement, clubs will be allowed to register up to seven foreign players, although only five foreign players will be eligible to feature in any one league match.
The clubs and FKF also agreed that two ambulances will be available at every league fixture, forming part of the match-day medical requirements for the new season.
The agreement was endorsed and signed by representatives of the participating clubs and FKF National Executive Committee members present at the meeting.
The NEC members listed in the agreement were FKF President Hussein Mohammed, Vice President MacDonald Mariga, Peter Kamau Kaskas, Caleb Amwayi, Charles Njagi, Abdallah Yusuf, Robert Macharia and Dan Shikanda.
The agreement now clears the way for clubs to complete preparations for the opening round.
Sharks and Mombasa United remain outside opening fixtures
Despite the agreement, the legal dispute surrounding Kariobangi Sharks’ relegation remains unresolved.
Sharks finished 16th in the 2025/26 league but challenged FKF’s application of the 2025 promotion and relegation regulations, arguing that the earlier 2019 regulations should have applied. The dispute went before the Sports Disputes Tribunal and subsequently the High Court.
The Murang’a High Court subsequently allowed the league to proceed under the 2019 regulations while the wider legal dispute over the rules remains before the courts.
Sharks’ appeal remains active, with the matter scheduled for further consideration at the High Court on 21 September, according to reports on the case.
As a result, Kariobangi Sharks and Mombasa United are not included in the opening fixtures as the clubs await further legal direction. Mombasa United’s position is linked to the separate dispute over promotion to the top flight.
Four matches on Saturday
The opening weekend will nevertheless see the majority of the league’s clubs return to competitive action.
According to the published schedule, Mathare United will face APS Bomet, Shabana FC will meet Posta Rangers, while Ulinzi Stars host Tusker FC on Saturday. Defending champions Gor Mahia are scheduled to begin their title defence against Murang’a Seal at Nyayo Stadium.
The return of the league comes after FKF’s transfer window closed on August 21, giving clubs several weeks to finalise their squads before the delayed campaign begins.
The 2026/27 season was initially expected to feature 18 clubs, according to FKF’s competition information, although the unresolved cases involving Sharks and Mombasa United mean the composition of the opening fixtures remains subject to the ongoing legal process.
For Kenyan football, Saturday’s fixtures will mark the return of top-flight competition after a prolonged off-season dominated by regulatory and legal disputes rather than action on the pitch.
