NAIROBI, Kenya, February 4 – As the battle between Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and Kenyan Premier League Limited (KPL) continues, the latter has thrown a spanner in the works by increasing the referee fees with commencement this season.
This new move will definitely be enticing to match officials especially if FKF does not back down on their resolution to run the league by themselves.
The Federation had threatened match officials who officiate in unsanctioned leagues will be banned and they will now be left between a rock and a hard place with the latest developments.
This was agreed on Tuesday following a KPL governing council meeting in Nairobi where it was agreed as well that all KPL teams will remain faithful.
“On the selection, testing and appointment of match officials, the Governing Council agreed to abide by the FKF-KPL joint arrangements as in previous years. However, if FKF refuses to cooperate, then from February 9 KPL will undertake those functions directly.
If, as it has threatened to do, FKF bans the match officials selected by KPL, then KPL will insist that those bans all be rescinded before engaging in any future discussions with FKF,” KPL’s statement after the governing council meeting said.
KPL has as well given FKF an ultimatum to recognize them as the company charged to run the clubs even as KPL CEO Jack Oguda confirmed they had finally been given the FIFA report.
“FIFA’s report is clear that the league should have 16 teams and this is what we should follow. FKF should respect FIFA. We are continuing with our plans for the league and our sponsors are still with us and no one has communicated otherwise,” Oguda said.
At the governing council meeting, all club chairmen signed an agreement to continue playing in the KPL despite FKF’s resolutions at the SGM.
“Instead of wasting any more time and energy on unproductive wrangles, the Governing Council decided to refocus KPL’s limited resources on continuing to make the KPL one of the most corruption-free, professionally managed, highly competitive and widely admired leagues in Africa,” the league body added in its statement.
