Mombasa United and Kariobangi Sharks will settle the final place in the FKF Premier League through a two-legged promotion-relegation playoff after the two clubs reached an agreement.
The agreement which was mediated by FKF brings an end, at least for now, to a dispute that had held up the start of the 2026/27 top-flight season.
FKF confirmed on Thursday, September 24, that the two clubs had agreed to play the playoff after an urgent mediation process led by the federation.
The first leg will be played in Mombasa on Thursday, October 1, with the return match scheduled for Tuesday, October 6, in Nairobi.
FKF also confirmed that players newly registered by either club will be eligible to feature in the two matches.
The playoff follows a dispute over which promotion and relegation regulations should govern the transition from the 2025/26 season into the new campaign.
Under the 2019 rules, the team that finished 16th in the top flight would face the third-placed side from the National Super League in a promotion-relegation playoff.
That route became the centre of the dispute after FKF introduced revised regulations ahead of the 2025/26 season.
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The revised framework provided for three automatic relegations from the Premier League and three automatic promotions from the NSL, removing the traditional playoff between the 16th-placed top-flight side and the third-placed NSL team.
Kariobangi Sharks finished 16th in the 2025/26 FKF Premier League, while Mombasa United finished third in the National Super League, putting the two clubs at the centre of the disagreement.
Sharks had been facing relegation under the revised framework, while Mombasa United’s third-place finish put them in contention for promotion.
The disagreement subsequently moved into the legal arena, with conflicting court directions contributing to the delay in starting the new Premier League season.
The season had been scheduled to begin on September 19, but the unresolved issue over the composition of the top flight forced FKF to postpone the opening of the campaign.
Mombasa accept playoff
Mombasa United had maintained its position over the promotion dispute but ultimately agreed to the playoff in the wider interest of getting Kenyan football moving again.
In a statement issued Thursday, the club said it remained convinced of the legitimacy of its position and the sporting journey that had brought it to the dispute.
However, the club said it had decided to accept the playoff in the interests of its players, supporters, the people of Mombasa and the wider game.
Mombasa United stressed that accepting the playoff should not be interpreted as an admission that its position had been wrong.
The club described the decision as a sacrifice aimed at bringing an end to the impasse that had kept football away from the pitch.
Sharks get the playoff they wanted
For Kariobangi Sharks, the agreement provides the opportunity to fight for their place in the top flight on the field.
The Nairobi club had challenged its relegation under the revised framework and sought the playoff route provided under the earlier regulations.
The dispute became part of the wider legal battle over the rules governing promotion and relegation for the new season.
With both clubs now agreeing to the playoff, the immediate uncertainty over the final composition of the Premier League has a route to resolution.
The two matches will determine which side plays in the FKF Premier League and which begins the new season in the National Super League.
For FKF, the agreement also removes one of the major obstacles that had prevented the 2026/27 season from getting underway.
The federation commended both clubs for their engagement during the mediation process and said the agreement provided a way forward for the game.
Attention now turns to October 1, when Mombasa United and Kariobangi Sharks will finally take the dispute from the boardroom and courtroom to the pitch.
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