Omondi: Kenya Police coach supports FKF move to end KPL and all leagues

Kenya Police coach Charles Omondi has supported the decision taken by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to end the 2019-20 Kenyan football calendar.

The FKF confirmed two weeks ago they had ended all the seven tiers of football leagues in the country over the coronavirus pandemic.

Through FKF president Nick Mwendwa, the federation also confirmed Gor Mahia as the Kenyan Premier League (KPL)  champions with Nairobi City Stars winning the second-tier – National Super League (NSL) – and thus earning promotion to the top tier alongside second-placed Bidco United.

Omondi has congratulated Gor Mahia, City Stars, and Bidco for their latest feat and believes the early break will give teams more time to seek firmer financial bases ahead of the new season.

“This move is going to positively impact the teams in the various leagues financially, in that it gives them ample time to find a financial source to back them up ahead of the pre-season,” Omondi told Goal.

With the country pressed by tight timelines due to the spread of Covid-19 and measures to control the outbreak, the federation invoked Rule 2.6.1.2 of the Rules and Regulations Governing Kenyan Football, which states:

"Where the league format due to circumstances of force majeure fails to be completed within the season, the league winner shall be determined as follows; Where all the Clubs in the league have completed the first round fixture but less than 75% league games have been played, the table standings at the end of the first round shall be considered as the final table standings of the league.”

The announcement caught many by surprise, but the fact it is well enshrined in the FKF rules has Omondi’s support. 

"As a football fraternity, we are guided by the Fifa calendar and as such FKF president Mwendwa made an administrative move to cancel the FKF leagues as per the rules and regulations governing Kenyan football,” Omondi continued.

Omondi's team was competing for promotion to the KPL but as a true sportsman, he left his goodwill message for the two teams who will gain the automatic slots while Vihiga United will face off with Kisumu All-Stars in the promotion/relegation playoff.

"I would like to congratulate Bidco United and Nairobi City Stars for being promoted to the KPL after a long time; they rose to the league out of merit and not by chance," he concluded.

While Kakamega Homeboyz have bitterly protested the coronation of Gor Mahia for the fourth season in a row, the KPL have also written to the Confederation of African (Caf) seeking to have the decision to cancel the league rescinded.