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Gor Mahia Football Club, winners of the 2025/26 Kenya Premier League on May 31, 2026. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]
The High Court’s ruling, rendered on August 28, 2026, on promotion and relegation regulations could have significant implications for the appeal of the Kenyan Premier League. The litigation is predicated on a battle over whether the 2025 or the 2019 regulations are the applicable rules on promotion and relegation for the 2026/2027 season.
The 2025 Regulations replaced the framework contained in the 2019 Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Rules and Regulations Governing Kenyan Football. Under the 2019 regulations, the bottom two Premier League teams were automatically relegated, while the team finishing 16th was required to play the third-placed National Super League (NSL) side for the final place in the top-flight league of 18 teams. The 2025 regulations provide for three clubs to be relegated automatically and three NSL teams to gain direct promotion, effectively eliminating the playoff. Following the conclusion of the 2025/2026 season, Kariobangi Sharks, Sofapaka and Bidco United would be relegated, while Migori Youth, 3K FC and Mombasa United would earn automatic promotion.
