FKF told to relinquish direct management of Kenyan Premier League

His call comes amidst ongoing concerns over the league's management and financial challenges, with many stakeholders pushing for reforms to boost the league's competitiveness and sustainability.

Okere argued that privatizing the league’s operations would help restore trust among potential investors and ensure better organization, leading to increased funding and improved standards.

“Handing over the League to a private company brings league autonomy and independence like it used to be when the league was under the management of Kenya Premier League [KPL]. Out of that we attracted broadcasters like SuperSport who marketed our league to a point of having a number of foreigners coming to play in Kenya,” he said.

By advocating for privatization, Okere joins a growing list of Kenyan football stakeholders seeking a new approach to revitalizing the top-tier league.

“The federation should also get sponsors for our main league. Everybody wants a good competition to have success at the end of the season. The success of the league will determine how we compete with other teams overseas because we will be having the capabilities brought about by a quality league.”

“If we get proper sponsorship, we get good infrastructure for our teams, we will be good to go as a country,” he added.

He at the same time emphasized on the importance of channelling resources into youth systems which he says could support the development of robust grassroots programs and youth academies, with the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in mind.

“At the lower levels is where you get ‘creme de la crème’ talents. We have to invest in the youth structures, with that transitioning from grassroots to the elite levels can be very smooth rather than starting from up to down like it has been the norm.”

“Empowering grassroots teams is the only way we can have a stronger national football team. And this is the way to go now that we will be taking part in the upcoming CHAN in August and AFCON 2027. The good thing is we are not starting from zero, we are starting somewhere having seen how our Under 20 boys’ team performed in the recent CECAFA junior championships.”

Taiwo Atieno, a former professional footballer, mentioned the need to address the replacement of the Kenya Premier League Limited with the FKF Premier League, suggesting that it was a significant error in judgment that needs to be corrected.

The previous FKF administration parted ways with Kenyan Premier League [KPL] that used to manage the League in 2020 after the federation concluded the league that season due to Covid-19 Pandemic without consultations.

In May 2020, FKF announced the cancellation of the KPL season declaring Gor Mahia as champions. KPL opposed this unilateral decision, arguing that FKF lacked the authority to terminate the league.

KPL sought legal redress by filing a case with the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT), challenging FKF's decision to end the season prematurely. KPL contended that FKF's actions were beyond their mandate and interfered with the league's autonomy.

After the Tribunal battle, FKF Premier League was recognized as the top-tier league, effectively replacing the KPL's management role.

Since then, the FKF has been responsible for managing the premier league in Kenya.

In recent years, there have been discussions and proposals about the league's management structure. For instance, in January 2025, the FKF announced the formation of a seven-member Transition Ad Hoc Committee to guide the federation through a transition period.