FKF Postpones Kenyan Premier League Kick-Off
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The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has postponed all Kenyan Premier League Round One matches that were scheduled between Monday, August 31 and Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
The decision delays the start of the 2026/27 season as FKF holds further talks with participating clubs and the league sponsors.
In a communication to clubs on August 30, FKF’s Leagues and Competitions Department said the postponement will allow the federation to hold further deliberations on the management of the new season.
“This is so as to allow for deliberations between the Federation, participating Clubs and the League sponsors that will provide direction and guidance on the management of the League for the upcoming Season,” the communication read in part.
FKF did not give a new date for the postponed Round One matches.
The Federation said it will communicate the Round One fixtures, together with the full-season schedule, to clubs and other stakeholders as soon as possible.
FKF Faces Club Challenge Over 2019 Regulations
On August 28, several Kenyan Premier League clubs were considering legal action against an FKF directive requiring the new season to be played under the 2019 FKF regulations.
The clubs argued that the move could have serious implications for squads they had already assembled under the 2025 regulations.
One of the main areas of concern is the number of foreign players that clubs can register.
The 2025 regulations allow clubs to register up to seven foreign players, while the 2019 regulations limit the number to five.
“This is a big mess, and we will go to court. We already have letters from FKF to apply for work permits for all seven foreign players. How will that be rescinded, and now we are expected to register only five?” one club official said.
Clubs Face Foreign-Player Dilemma
The 2019 regulations also limit the number of foreign players a club can register to five.
This could force several Kenyan Premier League clubs to make difficult decisions over their squads after recruiting more foreign players under the 2025 regulations.
Kenya Police FC, Tusker FC, Gor Mahia and Nairobi United are among the clubs that have already signed more than five foreign players.
The affected clubs will now have to offload some of their foreign players or leave them out of their registered squads to comply with the five-player limit.
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