3K left in limbo as court cases stall KPL kick-off

The newly-promoted side say the legal battles have disrupted their preparations ahead of their maiden appearance in the more demanding top-flight league.

The Embu County based team were scheduled to debut the top tier league at home to Mara Sugar.

The 2026/27 season remains on hold after the High Court at Milimani earlier this week declined Football Kenya Federation’s urgent application seeking to lift orders blocking the league’s kick off this Saturday.

The dispute stems from Kariobangi Sharks’ challenge against the Sports Disputes Tribunal decision that upheld FKF’s 2025 promotion and relegation rules, which resulted in Sharks being automatically relegated from the top flight.

3K chairman Charles Njage, who also serves as NEC Member Eastern Region, says the club was encouraged by an earlier court ruling that upheld the 2025 regulations, which provided for three teams to be relegated from the Premier League and three others to be promoted.

Njage says the subsequent legal proceedings have now left the league in limbo.

“We are not sure whether the league will start this weekend as it was slated by the Federation. The cases have brought challenges to the federation, and they cannot do anything because the court ruled that the league should not kick off until Kariobangi Sharks’ appeal is heard and determined,” said Njage.

According to him, the uncertainty has affected the club’s morale and preparations, despite the players being ready to compete in the top flight.

“The players were ready to compete anytime, but the court cases have disoriented us a great deal,” he said.

Njage has also assured Embu residents that the club is ready for the demands of top-flight football after strengthening the squad during the off-season.

“The club is ready for top-flight football. I want to assure the Embuans that we shall post very good results, and they only need to come out in big numbers to support the team. During our pre-season, we bolstered our squad with good-quality players. We released eight and reinforced with 10 players,” said Njage.

Despite the uncertainty, head coach Nicodemus Omasete remains optimistic about the team’s prospects in the Premier League, saying the squad has gained confidence from its pre-season friendly matches.

“The team has grown a lot of confidence, and this is due to the friendlies we have played in the pre-season. We are better than when we started,” said Omasete.

The tactician who promoted the club after replacing the beleaguered Francis Chege, says the technical bench has also raised the team’s standards in preparation for the challenges of top-flight football.

“The league will be very tough, and therefore we have raised our standards to be able to compete in the league and the challenges that we will meet. Our expectations are high, and we are ready to compete,” he added.

Meanwhile, the club's marketing officer Brian Mumanthi says the club has received a major financial boost after a betting company extended its sponsorship by Ksh21 million.

“Our sponsor extended our partnership by pumping Ksh21 million, and this will help us run the team. Each month, we shall be consuming Ksh3 million, so this amount will be able to push us for up to seven months,” said Mumanthi.

He says the sponsorship will cater for players, medical and coaching staff, security during home matches, as well as travel for away fixtures and training sessions.

However, Mumanthi says the club faces an additional financial challenge following the Federation’s requirement for a minimum player salary of KSh50,000.

“If we can work with this, then it means we will need KSh50 million more, and this we must dig from our pockets. We have organised a fundraiser in November to try and mobilise more funds for us to meet this demand,” he said.