FKF Premier League at crossroads as clubs push for governance reforms

With Kenya's top flight embroiled in disputes over promotion and relegation, governance concerns and renewed calls for an independent management structure, Obure believes the league can reclaim its place among Africa's best by giving clubs a greater role in its administration.

His remarks follow recent consultations between FKF and Premier League clubs, which agreed to pursue governance reforms while allowing the 2026/27 season to proceed as scheduled. Obure cited the former Kenyan Premier League (KPL) Limited era as evidence that an independently run league can succeed.

"There was a lot of professionalism. There was a lot of money coming into the clubs and a lot was happening because it was independent. That is what most countries, even in Africa, do. They separate running of the top-tier league from the federation," he said.

Obure recalled a period marked by improved television coverage, greater transparency in officiating and lucrative commercial partnerships, which attracted players from Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, while positioning Kenya's league as a regional benchmark.

"Sponsors had confidence. Imagine by those years, as a club, we were earning like KSh10 million per season. That tells you how much confidence corporates had in the league."

He argued that the decision to dissolve the KPL management model marked the beginning of the league's decline, saying FKF's broad mandate—including overseeing national teams, women's football, grassroots competitions and county leagues—makes it difficult to manage the Premier League effectively.

"Running this league is a headache to the federation. We need a structure where FKF supervises while an independent body manages the league. That's the direction we want to take," he said.

Despite advocating for greater autonomy, Obure praised the current FKF administration for securing new league sponsorship and broadcast partnerships after years of financial uncertainty.

"Last season, as Mathare United, we received around KSh6.8 million from the sponsorship. Clubs were getting something, and that was a positive step," he said, adding that governance reforms would help attract even greater commercial investment.

Obure also defended the application of the 2025 promotion and relegation regulations, arguing that clubs competed throughout the season under those rules and that selectively reverting to the 2019 regulations would only create further confusion.

"People are only looking at promotion and relegation, yet we also played under the same rules on foreign players, ambulances and security. You cannot apply one section and ignore the rest."

He further called for stricter enforcement of CAF club licensing requirements, saying financially stable clubs, improved infrastructure and better player welfare are essential to raising the league's standards.

While discussions over the league's future governance continue, Obure said clubs remain committed to starting the new season on schedule.

"We agreed that the league should start. There's a light at the end of the tunnel because all of us have agreed this is what we want. If it won't happen this season, I can tell you 2027/2028 the league will be run independently," he said.