BY SAM ALFAN.
Kenya Premier League should have a maximum of 16 teams during the 2017 seasons, the court has said.
The court has further said that the league should consist 14 KPL teams which qualified for sporting merit on the field during 2016 seasons plus 3 highest ranked clubs at the end of the 2016 seasons in FKF national super league.
The introduction and adoption of the FKF club lincesing regulations at FKF AGM, it said, was irregular and therefore null and void.
Justice John Mativo said that the unilateral post season regulations/promotion and addition of clubs by Nick Mwendwa violated the agreement and also the sporting principle of merit and therefore null and void.
Meanwhile Nick Mwendwa has been stopped from interfering with the KPL rights to manage and own the KPL during the period of the said agreement.
In the case Former Football Kenya Federation President Sam Nyamweya moved to court against FKF and Sports Disputes Tribunal to court over the country’s league.
Nyamweya accused FKF President Nick Mwendwa and his CEO Robert Muthomi for wanting to manage KPL, a league he says is a preserve of Kenyan Premier League Limited.
Judgement affirms and a is a major boost to Sofapaka who had been “relegated” under CAF licensing rules but currently lie 2nd on the log with 42 points only 9 points behind current league leaders Gor Mahia.
Veteran soccer President Sam Nyamweya has sued the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) leadership over its irregular expansion of the Kenya Premier League (KPL) and the haphazard relegation and promotion of teams.
Nyamweya want the High Court to slap an injunction against the FKF from interfering with the management of the KPL and to respect the mutual agreement signed by the two parties restricting 16 teams to participate in the annual soccer bonanza.
Nyamweya, who retired from the FKF presidency last year to usher the new team led by Nick Mwendwa, protested that violation of the binding agreement was likely to provoke a ban on Kenya’s participation in the sport by the world soccer governing body FIFA. Kenya may miss out on bidding to host the Continental African Nations Cup (CHAN) following the wrangles between FKF and KPL management, he said.
According to the FKF-KPL pact, only 16 teams can play during the 2017 season, comprising 14 teams that qualified on the field during the 2016 season and the two highest-ranked clubs at the end of the 2016 season in the FKF’s National Supper League.
The former FKF President said the Mwendwa group had unilaterally expanded the KPL to 18 teams for the current season.
They had breached Article 1.2(g) of the FKF-KPL agreement that categorically states that any proposals for the relegation or promotion of clubs must be reviewed and agreed upon at least one season prior to implementation, he said in court papers.
Nyamweya said Mwendwa and his associates had disobeyed sanctions by the Sports Dispute Tribunal, which gave orders on October 14, last year, restraining them from interfering with KPL affairs or discussing expansion of the participating clubs. The following day, the FKF leadership discussed and approved Club Licensing Regulations, which gave room for expansion of the league without consultations with all stakeholders, he said
