FKF keen to push through expansion of KPL in AGM

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has formally convoked its fourth Annual General Meeting in Nairobi on Saturday with the proposal to increase the Kenyan Premier League to 18 from 16 teams among the items listed on the agenda.

The formal notice to call for the AGM that will start at 9am at Nairobi’s Kenya School of Monetary Studies was signed by FKF CEO, Robert Muthomi on Thursday.

In attendance will be representatives from 20 FKF branches, 16 KPL teams, nine National Super League sides, nine clubs from FKF National Division 1 and a delegate each from the FKF Women’s Premier League, Kenya Football Players Welfare Organisation, Kenya Football Coaches Organisation and Kenya Football Referees Organisation.

An attempt to increase the number of top flight teams to 18 by the former Sam Nyamweya led FKF regime in March last year sparked a standoff that saw the KPL suspended for two weeks and the rival FKF Premier League established where 14 second tier sides promoted at once.

However, mediation efforts brokered by world governing body FIFA saw the status quo retained with the FKF-PL downgraded to the second tier as the High Court quashed an injunction order obtained by Nyamweya against the KPL.

Upon his election in February, FKF president Nick Mwendwa who was appointed the chairman of FKF-PL upon its creation, promised to re-visit the issue after remodeling the second-tier National Super League.

The semi-autonomous Kenyan Premier League Limited that runs the top flight competition has resisted the move to increase the number of teams citing huge financial implications involved in expanding the competition.

Clubs affiliated to KPL who are the principal shareholders of the management company, have been reluctant to accept a reduced share of revenue mostly sourced from their broadcast partnership deal with SuperSport that is payable in quarters to accommodate the extra sides.

Besides the structure of the 2017 KPL, Mwendwa will present the Presidents Activity Report as well as the Consolidated and Revised Balance Sheet and the Profit and Loss Statement for approval by the delegates.

The AGM will also vote on proposals of amendment to FKF statutes, regulations governing the application of statutes and standing orders as well as amendments to four articles of the federation’s constitutions namely; Article 10 (a), Article 10 (b), Article 21 (I) and Article 32 (d).

The meeting will also be asked to authorise the National Executive Committee (NEC) to conduct comprehensive review of the FKF constitution and to submit the draft to the next AGM for adoption.

Suspension of members as per a circular dated August 21 by the NEC will also be put forward for ratification besides the appointment of independent auditors to scrutinise the federation’s books of account.