By Evans Mutinda Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Hussein Mohammed has vowed to fight attempts to derail the country’s football reform agenda, as a legal standoff over competing court orders forced the postponement of the 2026/27 FKF Premier League season. Mr Mohammed said the federation was ready to kick off the new season on September 19, with clubs, sponsors, broadcasters, players and match officials all prepared, before conflicting court orders served on the eve of the opening plunged the league into uncertainty. “We will not succumb to malicious attempts to collapse the federation. One day it is one tender, the next day it is something else. You wake up the following day, it is another thing,” Mr Mohammed said. He said the federation was caught between two conflicting directives one from the High Court in Murang’a requiring a playoff involving Kariobagi Sharks and Mombasa United before the league could proceed, and another from the High Court in Kiambu directing FKF to publish revised fixtures including Mombasa United without a playoff. Mr Mohammed said proceeding with the league under the contradictory orders would have exposed *clubs, players, sponsors, broadcasters and federation officials to serious legal and financial risks. “While FKF respects the judicial process and the rule of law, operating under contradictory court directions served within hours of each other created an impossible legal situation,” he said. The FKF boss appealed to the Judiciary to consider the wider impact of football-related litigation, arguing that repeated legal interventions were disrupting clubs, players’ livelihoods, broadcasters, vendors and commercial partners. “My plea today is to the Judiciary to allow football to go on,” Mr Mohammed said, while insisting that FKF would not deliberately disregard any court order. He urged football stakeholders to make greater use of internal dispute-resolution mechanisms, saying football disputes should be handled within the structures provided by FKF, CAF and FIFA. Mr Mohammed warned that Kenya risked repeating its past experience of FIFA sanctions if third-party interference in football affairs continued. He also defended his administration’s record, citing progress in youth development, women’s football, coaching, refereeing, grassroots scouting and infrastructure. According to the FKF president, more than 1,000 grassroots scouts have been deployed nationwide, while Kenya’s junior teams have posted strong results, including qualification for a second FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup. He said the federation had also cleared referees’ outstanding arrears and was renovating its headquarters at Galana House as part of efforts to restore the dignity and professionalism of FKF. On the commercial front, Mr Mohammed said the new Premier League season was expected to be the most lucrative domestic campaign in Kenyan football history, with a reported Sh139 million club grant allocation and an additional Sh20 million prize pool. “The sponsorship is secured, the structure is built, the foundation has been made, and our singular priority right now at FKF is to get the ball rolling safely and legally as soon as possible,” he said. Mr Mohammed said FKF was in talks with affected parties to find a lawful and practical solution, including exploring the possibility of a playoff or another arrangement consistent with court orders and federation regulations. ‘We promise you we shall overcome. We will not succumb to malicious attempts to collapse the federation,” he said. He called for patience from fans, clubs, players and other stakeholders as the federation works to resolve the legal impasse and restart the league. Post navigation Chess Gains Ground Among Kenya’s Youth as Clubs Call for Greater Support
