Kenyan football has done it again. Just when you think the boardroom drama at Kandanda House cannot get any more ridiculous, a fresh administrative grenade explodes to completely tear up the rulebook. In a shocking twist that has left the entire local football fraternity reeling, Kariobangi Sharks are officially being forced into automatic relegation to the National Super League (NSL), with the traditional promotion-relegation playoffs completely scrapped.
Let’s look at the facts. William Muluya’s charges finished a grueling 2025/26 campaign in 16th place after their final match against Sofapaka on May 31st. Under Rule 2.9.1 of the established FKF Rules and Regulations, finishing third from bottom meant one thing: a postseason playoff lifeline against the third-placed team from the NSL. It is a system that has given clubs a fighting chance for years.
Sharks CEO Lynda Ambiyo did what any professional administrator would do—she penned a letter to the Football Kenya Federation asking for the playoff dates so the team could prepare. Instead of a fixture schedule, she got a cold, hard slap in the face from FKF Acting Secretary General Dennis Gicheru.
Gicheru bluntly announced that there will be absolutely no playoffs this year. According to the federation, a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting way back in September 2025 quietly resolved to abolish the playoff format entirely. Under this “new” arrangement, the bottom three Premier League sides—Kariobangi Sharks, Sofapaka, and Bidco United—are being dumped straight into the NSL, while the top three second-tier sides earn direct promotion.
The absolute madness here is the timing and the secrecy. Sharks are insisting they never received a single piece of communication regarding this rule change before or during the entire season. You simply cannot change the destination of a league after the final whistle has blown. It is completely unfair, legally questionable, and moves the goalposts when clubs have invested millions based on an established framework. Even the federation’s own Leagues and Competitions Committee chairman, Dan Chege, has broken ranks, admitting the decision was never finalized due to constitutional issues and calling for an urgent meeting to stop a legal bloodbath.
Sharks have already launched an official appeal, and this entire mess is almost certainly headed to the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT). But as it stands, a team that has been a breath of fresh air in the top flight since 2017 is being dragged down to the lower tier without even being allowed to kick a ball to defend their status.
It is a dark day for sportsmanship in Kenya. If the federation can casually delete rules in secret, then the integrity of the local game is completely down the drain. Sharks are ready for a dogfight in the corridors of justice, and frankly, every true football fan should be standing right behind them.
