Sports Amendment Bill chance to clean up Kenyan sport

The Sports (Amendment) Bill, 2026, seeks to criminalise practices that compromise the fairness and credibility of competitions. [File, Standard]

The passing of the Sports (Amendment) Bill, 2026 could not have come at a more important time for Kenyan sport.

For years, match-fixing has cast a shadow over competitions, particularly football, where questions over suspicious results and betting-related interference have affected the FKF Premier League, National Super League and lower-tier competitions.

The new law offers Kenyan sport an opportunity to begin a serious clean-up. It creates a clear definition of competition manipulation, covering bribery, deliberately underperforming, fixing results and using inside information for betting.

Sports Kenya will also have powers to receive reports and investigate suspected cases, while the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) will handle appeals.

This matters because sport is built on trust.

A fan who pays to watch a football match wants to believe that both teams are fighting to win. A sponsor wants to know that its money is supporting a genuine competition. Players want their hard work to decide their careers. Once that trust disappears, everyone loses.

Kenyan football has already felt the damage. The repeated allegations surrounding the top league and lower divisions have created an uncomfortable environment where even a genuine mistake can be viewed with suspicion. That is dangerous for a sport trying to attract bigger crowds, stronger sponsors and better players.

The problem is even greater in the lower leagues. Players who earn little money can be easy targets for people offering quick cash. Protecting these players must therefore be part of the fight.

Punishment alone will not solve the problem. Clubs and football authorities must also educate players and officials about how fixers operate and provide safe ways to report suspicious approaches.

The benefits of cleaning up the game could go beyond football. Athletics, rugby, basketball, volleyball and other sports also depend on public confidence. A competition loses its value when people believe results can be bought.

Kenya has watched the Tanzanian Premier League grow in financial strength and popularity over the past decade while the local league has struggled to keep pace.

There are many reasons for this gap, but a clean and trusted competition is one of the foundations needed to attract serious investment.

The new law should therefore be seen as more than a punishment tool. It is an opportunity to rebuild Kenyan sport.

But the biggest test will come after the law takes effect. Investigations must be professional, timely and fair. Those found guilty must face meaningful punishment, while those wrongly accused must be protected.

Kenyan sport has talent. It has passionate fans and clubs with history. What it needs now is confidence that the result on the field is real.

If the fight against match-fixing is handled properly, this could be the beginning of a much-needed reset for Kenyan sport.