The long-running dispute over the composition of the 2026/27 FKF Premier League has taken a new turn after Kariobangi Sharks and Mombasa United agreed to face off in a two-legged promotion-relegation playoff.
The agreement was reached on Thursday, September 24, 2026, following mediation by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF), with both clubs set to use their newly registered players.
“We have an agreement for the playoff (Sharks vs Mombasa United) to proceed with newly registered players after the mediation process initiated by FKF,” FKF said.
The first leg will be played in Mombasa on October 1, 2026, with the return fixture scheduled for Nairobi on October 6.
The deal offers a possible resolution to the dispute that has delayed the start of the 2026/27 FKF Premier League, which was initially scheduled to begin on September 19 but was postponed indefinitely amid conflicting court orders.
Mombasa United said it had taken the decision in consideration of its fans, players and people of Mombasa.
"This decision is not a surrender, nor is it an admission that our position was wrong. It is a sacrifice made to end an impasse that has kept football away from where it truly belongs," Mombasa United said.
The disagreement followed the conclusion of the 2025/26 season, when Kariobangi Sharks finished 16th in the Premier League and Mombasa United placed third in the National Super League.
Under FKF's 2019 regulations, the 16th-placed Premier League team was required to face the third-placed NSL side in a promotion-relegation playoff, with the winner securing a top-flight place.
However, FKF introduced a different promotion and relegation framework for the 2025/26 season. Under the new system, the bottom three Premier League teams were automatically relegated, while the top three NSL teams earned automatic promotion.
Sharks were therefore relegated automatically, while Mombasa United were promoted without a playoff.
Sharks challenged the application of the newer regulations through the sports dispute and court system.
The Sports Disputes Tribunal upheld FKF's application of the 2025 regulations, but the matter later moved to the High Court, where conflicting directives complicated preparations for the new season.
The legal dispute escalated shortly before the September 19 league kickoff.
The High Court in Murang'a ordered FKF to organise a promotion-relegation playoff between Sharks and Mombasa United.
Separately, the High Court in Kiambu directed FKF to provisionally include Mombasa United as the 18th team in the Premier League.
The conflicting orders created uncertainty over the league's composition and contributed to the postponement of the new campaign.
The latest agreement allows both Sharks and Mombasa United to field their newly registered players in the playoff.