FKF scores over SDT at High Court in abandoned Nairobi United vs Gor Mahia match case
Reading Time: 2min | Wed. 11.03.26. | 20:07
The move by the federation risks contravention of the FIFA statutes that prevent member associations from indulging ordinary courts of law
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has obtained a stay order on a decision made by the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) last week to nullify the federation’s ruling on the fate of the abandoned Premier League match between Nairobi United and Gor Mahia.
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This comes after the FKF’s Leagues and Competitions Committee (LLC) and the FKF Disciplinary Committee on Tuesday, 10 March, successfully got the High Court of Kenya to grant leave on an entire decision by the SDT.
The tribunal on Friday, 6 March, ordered a fresh and fair hearing into an FKF decision to award a point each to Gor Mahia and Nairobi United.
The two sides faced off on Sunday, 21 December, in a match that was abandoned in the 58th minute.
In addition to nullifying the FKF LLC decision, that stated that the said match was abandoned due to “force majeure”, the SDT also poked holes into the legitimacy of FKF’s Disciplinary Committee, ruling that in its current form, stood as an illegal body, stripping away its rights to adjudicate on matters, as it had not been ratified by the FKF General Assembly.
FKF’s LLC was also tasked to determine the fresh case under the Rules and Regulations Governing Kenyan Football (2019), and not those from 2025, which were used to determine the initial ruling, but were not in effect, nor agreed in a General Assembly at the beginning of the 2025-2026 FKF Premier League season.
However, in a surprising rebuttal, the two FKF Committees got the Milimani Law Courts to stop the implementation and enforcement of the SDT ruling until the main motion is heard and determined, while in a separate order prohibiting the tribunal from further hearing and determination of any disputes arising from the interested parties before the exhaustion of appeal mechanisms provided for under the FKF Appeals Committee.
The court further directed the main motion to be filed and served within the next 21 days, with the mention scheduled for 20 April 2026.
The move, albeit on face value resembling a win for FKF and its committees, opens another can of worms regarding potential contravention of the FIFA statutes.
FIFA Article 59 mandates that member associations, clubs, players, and officials cannot take football-related disputes to ordinary courts of law, prohibiting such action unless explicitly allowed by FIFA regulations.