KPL rushes to court, minister to answer summons

The Kenyan Premier League (KPL) has rushed to court to seek orders quashing the injunction to their competition obtained by their rivals Football Kenya Federation (FKF) as the country's game turned to the corridors of justice for remedy.

Kenya's House Majority Leader Adan Duale told parliament Wednesday that Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Hassan Wario, would appear before the Committee of Labour and Social Services to explain what action he has taken to quell the stalemate that has seen competing parallel premier leagues emerge.

FKF filed an injunction against KPL on Friday, leading the latter to suspend their competition pending a hearing into the matter on March 3.

In their submission to court, KPL which is represented by their chairman and seasoned lawyer Ambrose Rachier, put forth among other grounds, FKF contravened their own constitution by failing to divulge "very relevant facts, materials and information."

They argued the sanction went against world governing body, FIFA, continental body, CAF and their own statutes that forbid football disputes from being taken to ordinary courts of law in the country they occur although FKF argued they went to Nairobi's Milimani High Court after severing ties with their rivals "during the Special General Meeting of January 28."

"That I am aware that Regulation 68 of the FIFA Statute, Article 47 of the CAF Statute and Article 67 of the Constitution of FKF all divest from this court the jurisdiction to hear and determine this suit," KPL argued, claiming their rivals moved to court to avert a FIFA ban.

In the august house, Duale explained to Members Parliament during the Wednesday afternoon sitting the minister duly showed up to appear before the Committee on Tuesday but was advised to return a week later since the venue of the scheduled meeting was earlier booked.

Nakuru Town East Member of Parliament David Gikaria had asked the minister to appear and explain to them what he had done to end the football stalemate but the chair of the Committee David Were had to reschedule it after finding the venue had already been booked.

FKF insists on an 18-team premier league format and claim the country's two giants, champions Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards, had committed to play in their competition and defected from KPL that insists on 16 sides, even including them in their weekend fixtures.

However, Rachier happens to be the Gor Mahia chairman and accused FKF boss Sam Nyamweya of seeking to legitimise his attempts to force the top flight clubs to play in his competition, with his AFC counterpart, Allan Kasavuli, also denying his side had jumped ship. Endite