Reviewed by Peris WambuKenya sports betting writer
Published 8 October 2026
The Football Kenya Federation has set Friday 9 October for the start of the 2026/27 FKF Premier League, and one place in the division is undecided after the second leg of the playoff between Kariobangi Sharks and Mombasa United was abandoned on Tuesday.
The federation published the opening round on Monday 5 October. Nairobi United and KCB meet at the Police Sacco Stadium at 4pm on Friday, and eight more ties follow across Saturday and Sunday.
The opening round
Mathare United play APS Bomet at the Police Sacco Stadium and Posta Rangers play Shabana at the Wang’uru Stadium in Kirinyaga on Saturday. On Sunday, Ulinzi Stars and Tusker meet at the Ulinzi Sports Complex at 2pm, 3K FC play Mara Sugar in Embu and Migori Youth play Kenya Police in Awendo.
Gor Mahia against Murang’a Seal and AFC Leopards against Bandari are both listed with venues to be confirmed. One tie has no teams in it yet either: Kakamega Homeboyz are down to play the winner of the playoff on Sunday, and there is no winner.
The place that is undecided
Kariobangi Sharks and Mombasa United met at the Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi on Tuesday 6 October for the second leg. The match was abandoned in the second half. Sharks led 2-1 on the day, which left the tie level at 3-3, Mombasa United having won the first leg 2-1 at the Mbaraki Sports Club on 1 October.
The referee John Sulwe awarded Mombasa United a penalty. Sharks players and the technical bench protested, supporters came onto the pitch, security officers stepped in and the match officials were escorted from the field. The penalty was not taken.
The winner on aggregate would keep or take a place in the FKF Premier League and the loser would go to the National Super League. Neither is settled. The FKF Disciplinary Committee will decide the case.
Kariobangi Sharks finished sixteenth in the FKF Premier League last season and Mombasa United reached the playoff from the National Super League.
Put back since August
The season had been due to start at the end of August and that opening round was not played. Kariobangi Sharks challenged the rules used to decide who went down, the High Court declined to rule on the federation’s revised 2025 regulations and directed that the season proceed under the 2019 rules on an interim basis, and the start was put back more than once, to the point where the season had no date at all.
It has one now, and our Kenya sports news page carries the season as it goes.
