Could this be the return of KPL Ltd?

Sports CS Ababu Namwamba (Fourth from right) and KPL clubs' Chairmen/CEOs during a press briefing at the Kenya National Library Service, Nairobi on Thursday. [Courtesy]

As Football Kenya Federation (FKF) returns to office and the country anxiously waits for Fifa to lift the suspension, Kenyan Premier League clubs have reignited the debate of the top tier league being managed by an independent or a private company.

The federation took over the management of the league on September 24 2020 after the expiry of Kenyan Premier League Limited's contract, a body FKF had initially mandated to run the topflight football.

The duo has had a love-hate relationship since 2003 when the company was formed to curb the constant wrangles between the federation and the top-tier clubs, but it reached its lowest ebb in September 2020 after the federation refused to extend KPL's contract.

In 2015, a football agreement between former FKF president Sam Nyamweya and KPL was drafted, giving KPL Ltd the legal mandate to run the league until September 24 2020.

But their frosty relationship was manifested from numerous issues ranging from the top league's composition to releasing of players for national teams' assignments during the first two years of the Nick Mwendwa-led regime in office forcing the FA to end the marriage.

The league administrators did not manage to finish their last season (2019/2020 season) as planned owing to Covid-19.

However, as football prepares to return to normalcy after almost one year in the cold following Fifa's suspension, Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier said they will try to engage the federation to once again delegate the running of the league to KPL Ltd.

But while answering questions from journalists during Thursday's press conference at the Kenya National Library Service, Nairobi, after a meeting between Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba and 20 KPL clubs' chairpersons, Rachier admitted that the federation is constitutionally mandated to run the league.

The meeting which officially kick-started the process of getting the country's FA back to world football governing body, Fifa's fold, was also graced by KPL CEO Jack Oguda.

"As per the FKF constitution, the league ought to be run by the federation but they can delegate this power to a body like it happened to KPL. These powers were taken away when the contract expired; it wasn't renewed in September 2020," said Rachier.

"But arising from what we call best practices and benchmarks all over the world, professional leagues like EPL, Bundesliga, Serie A and PSL among others are being run by professional bodies. It is really a good practice to have the top tier league run by a professional body rather than being mixed with other items and functions of the federation.

"We have resolved to make representations to the federation once it's restored to return the running of the league to the KPL. Therefore, our presence here is to facilitate what we have already done and then make an appeal to the federation once they are back in the office to consider delegating running of the league to KPL."

His sentiments were echoed by Kakamega Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula who said: "I think handing over the management of the league to an independent entity is the way to go. We all saw how KPL was well-organised before their contract expired."

But during yesterday's interview on Radio Maisha, FKF General Secretary Barry Otieno denied claims that KPL has contacted them over the management of the league.

"All leagues belong to FKF and their members. KPL have not contacted anybody at the federation in regards to that issue of running the league. Maybe, they want to run their own league. Right now there is no proposal that's come to the secretariat so that it can be tabled to the congress expressing their interest to run or commercialise the league," said Otieno.

"KPL did a good job in the past years, but in their last two years they didn't give clubs money and the league champions a trophy. Since their contract expired in 2020, there is nothing they have done in terms of commercialising sports to make us reconsider them."

He continued: "We took over the mandate of running the league, but before the disbandment of the federation, we had given each club Sh10.2m and league winners got Sh5m, that's the highest that has ever been achieved in the history of Kenyan football.

"As a federation, we understand that it's not enough; we still have a long way to go. The discussion we can have with KPL is how we can better that figure. We can't discuss KPL with appointment of referees and dispute resolution mechanisms. "

However, for AFC Leopards chairman Dan Shikanda and Tusker FC's representative and IMG boss Charles Gacheru, returning football to normalcy is the most important thing right now.

But it remains to be seen how the thorny issue of relegation and promotion will be handled by the recently reinstated federation once its officials settle down.

And after holding talks with KPL clubs and FKF officials, former Harambee Stars striker and CAF/Fifa instructor Elijah Onsika has urged the Sports CS to call for a meeting with football legends in the country.

"I thank CS Ababu for the bold steps he has already taken by meeting the clubs' chairmen and federation officials. We as former players also want to meet him to express our views because we know what has been ailing the game," said Onsika.