Kakamega Homeboyz players in their past FKF-PL match in Bukhungu Stadium. PHOTO/FILE
NAIROBI, November 9- Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has promoted Posta Rangers and Kakamega Homeboyz pending the joint agreement with the Kenyan Premier League on the composition of next season’s top flight.
The announcement comes as a sigh of relief to Kenyan football after FKF went against the Memorandum of Understanding and declared four teams will be relegated and six promoted a fortnight ago.
That would have set the stage for another bruising battle with KPL who insist on a 16-team Premier League.
However, in a letter to KPL CEO, Jack Oguda, federation Secretary General, Michael Esakwa affirmed a Joint Executive Committee of both bodies will further decide on the final composition of the top-flight league for the 2016 season as provided by the MOU.
“This is to notify you that Posta Rangers and Kakamega Homeboyz have been promoted to the Kenyan Premier League after emerging the top two for the 2015 FKF-PL season.
“Please be advised that other decisions regarding the composition of the league will be duly decided by the FKF/KPL Joint Executive Committee as provided by our MOU,” part of the letter to Oguda and copied to the two clubs stated.
Reaching Oguda for comments, the KPL boss told Capital Sport they have no issue with the two teams forwarded to them since it will complete their 16 team format for next season after KCB and Nakuru All Stars were relegated.
“I have received the letter and we have no problem with that. We work with the teams they give us so long as it’s two. The letter that I posses doesn’t state that we will discuss the composition of teams for the 2016 season. We will ratify the teams in the Joint Executive Committee of FKF and KPL,” Oguda declared.
The squabble over composition of teams for this season led to parallel leagues in March with KPL reinstating Nairobi City Stars and All Stars who were relegated before FIFA intervened in March to end the stalemate that saw the FKF-PL downgraded to the second tier.
Rangers who were one of the casualties last season finished top on 71 points, four ahead of Homeboyz who finished second just a point ahead of third placed Zoo Kericho who were favourites to earn the promotion.
The two former KPL sides benefited from the boycott by a section of FKF-PL clubs who declined to honour their remaining three fixtures after the federation awarded Kakamega Homeboyz and Shabana points.
“The National Executive Committee of FKF will give the final verdict on the fate of Zoo, Ligi Ndogo, Nairobi Stima and others that boycotted the league,” FKF declared in a statement.
Rangers will make a return to the KPL for the first time in three years and club chairman John Tonui assured their competitors stiff challenge.
“We are very delighted to return to the top flight league after struggling in the last three years to seek promotion. We are not going to be passengers but give our competitors a run for their money.
“We will strengthen the squad but not with many players since we have a quality team,” Tonui told Capital Sport.
The chairman said he will retain Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno as their head coach since joining the team from Sony Sugar.
Homeboyz who were axed in 2013 on their maiden appearance are looking forward to give a good fight next season with their boss, Cleophas Shimanyula saying they have released 10 players to bring in experience.
“We are happy finally hard work has paid and its good we are back in KPL since there is no team representing Western province after Western Stima relocated to Kisumu. The FKF-PL has been very competitive and any team from position one to six had chances of earning promotion.
“I disagree with those who say the boycott of other teams benefited us. We simply followed the rules since the federation runs the league. We decided to play and not be involved in politics and see here we are,” Shimanyula underlined.
