Mathare United chief Obure laughs off Premier League relegation

Mathare United will remain in the FKF Premier League next season, club CEO Jacktone Obure has asserted amid a directive that relegated them to the National Super League (NSL).

The Caretaker Committee declared Mathare had been demoted to the second-tier NSL by virtue of missing three consecutive league matches.

In a letter signed by the Committee’s Head of Secretariat Linda Ogutu and addressed to Mathare chairman Bob Munro, the Committee explained its decision.

"We have in our possession the match officials' reports on your matches...pitting yourselves against Bandari FC, Ulinzi Stars FC and Sofapaka FC and which were scheduled to be played...," the statement read.

"It is evident therefore that the said matches were not played for the reasons attributed to your team which failed to honour the fixtures and the same were thus awarded to your opponents. It is discernible from the foregoing that your team has to date failed to play three matches this season.

As provided for by... the rules and regulations governing Kenyan Football which states; 'any club in a league format that does not turn up for three fixtures in a season and their explanation... is not accepted in all the three incidences to the FKF National Leagues and Competitions Committee, shall be suspended for the rest of the season, shall be relegated to a lower tier for the next season and may face other disciplinary action.'

“We therefore hereby write to you decreeing that having failed to play three matches…, Mathare United FC has been suspended from the FKF Premier League 2021/22 season and shall be relegated to the National Super League for the next season."

However, Obure has laughed off the Committee’s decree as the new season draws near.

“We did not even react to the letter seriously, because we knew it was inconsequential. We knew we were playing in a league that was not sanctioned by FIFA. Only the FKF Leagues and Competition Committee has the power to relegate a team and for good reasons, therefore the Caretaker Committee’s decision has no effect on us,” explained Obure.

He also cited a recent ruling by the Sports Disputes Tribunal which declared the Committee’s sub-committees which were appointed to run the league unconstitutional.

“The SDT was clear that the FKF Standing Committees which were there even before the disbandment of the federation’s National Executive Council were not affected and therefore should have continued to run the league even under the caretakers. We all know that did not happen, the Caretaker Committee for reasons only known to them moved to appoint new committees, whose the court declared unconstitutional. Their decisions are therefore null and void, including the relegation of Mathare,” further elucidated Obure.

He was speaking on Wednesday as Premier League clubs gathered to announce their stance that they will not play until FIFA readmits Kenya into international football, a decision the 2008 Kenyan champions have endorsed.

“It is a big loss to play in a league that is not recognized by FIFA. To continue playing in such a league is endorsing the wrong thing. We join the rest of the clubs to call for order in our football management.”

Last week Saturday, FKF CEO Barry Otieno told Royal Media’s Radio Citizen that as far as the federation is concerned, Mathare United will play in the Premier League once they resume operations.

“We will be taking over nothing from the Caretaker Committee, since we also handed over nothing to them. To us, nothing has been taking place since they were installed, so we will start from where we left.

“We abide by FIFA regulations, and therefore we cannot pick anything from a Committee whose existence has attracted a suspension from the same body,” told Otieno.

This means even the teams that were promoted by the Caretaker Committee will have to go back to their subsequent leagues which they played in before once the FKF fully takes charge.

They include APS Bomet and Fortune Sacco, who so far have been warming up for the Premier League.