Reviewed by Peris WambuKenya sports betting writer
Published 20 September 2026 · Updated 24 September 2026
Football Kenya Federation called off the opening round of the 2026/27 SportPesa Premier League hours before it was due to start on Saturday 19 September, and said the season is postponed until further notice after two High Courts issued orders that cannot both be obeyed.
The federation had set 19 September as the start date only nine days earlier. The announcement came late on Friday.
Update, 24 September 2026: Football Kenya Federation has agreed a playoff between Kariobangi Sharks and Mombasa United, in Mombasa on 1 October and in Nairobi on 6 October, to complete an eighteen club league.
The High Court at Murang’a barred the league from starting until a promotion and relegation playoff is played between Kariobangi Sharks and Mombasa United. The High Court at Kiambu separately directed the federation to publish revised provisional fixtures that include Mombasa United as an eighteenth club.
Two orders, one fixture list
Those instructions point in opposite directions. One requires a match to be played before any league football counts; the other requires a club to be written into a competition the federation had built for seventeen teams.
Underneath both sits the same question. Kariobangi Sharks dispute that they were relegated, Mombasa United say they earned promotion out of the National Super League, and the two cases turn on which set of federation rules governs the movement between the divisions. The matters return to court later this month before more than one bench, so a start date depends on the judges rather than on the fixture secretary.
What it means for the markets
Kenyan league prices are not live while this runs. Operators can list a fixture list that has been published, and this one has been withdrawn twice inside a month, so the domestic card thins out and the weekly jackpots lean harder on foreign leagues.
The practical risk for a punter is the void rule rather than the result. A bet struck on a match that is then postponed indefinitely is handled differently by different books, some voiding after a fixed number of days and some carrying the selection to the rescheduled date, and that difference is worth reading before the league eventually opens.
Where to bet: SportPesa and Betika, both licensed in Kenya, where the Gambling Regulatory Authority replaced the Betting Control and Licensing Board in 2025, price Kenyan football in KES on match result, both teams to score and total goals, with M-Pesa deposits and withdrawals. With the opening round cancelled twice, check each operator’s postponement and void terms before you stake on a domestic fixture. Our guide to the best betting sites in Kenya covers licensing and withdrawal times, and there is more in Kenya soccer news from AXN Sports. 18+. Gamble responsibly.
