The Football Kenya Federation’s First Instance Body (FIB) has granted licenses to all FKF Premier League clubs ahead of the 2024/25 season. However, two clubs—Mara Sugar and Bandari—received licenses with sanctions due to various regulatory breaches.

Sofapaka FC

Sofapaka FC has been granted a conditional license due to overdue payables owed to former employees Collins Wakhungu and Paul Kiongera. The club has acknowledged these debts and committed to settling them. In line with Article 61 of the FKF Men’s Club Licensing Regulations, the FIB issued Sofapaka their license on the condition that they submit proof of payment or a payment plan, signed by both parties, by September 30, 2024.

Sofapaka has been given a three-month grace period since the start of the club licensing process. Failure to comply with this requirement within the stipulated timeline will result in the revocation of their license. Additionally, the club has overdue payables to three international players, which will be carried forward to the next season as they occurred after March 31st. Consequently, FIFA has barred Sofapaka from registering new players until these payments are settled.

Mara Sugar FC

Mara Sugar FC has been granted a license with sanctions for failing to submit amended contracts for key staff positions, including the Head Coach, Assistant Coach, Fitness Coach, Goalkeeper Coach, and Team Manager. The FIB imposed a sanction of USD 100 for each outstanding contract, totalling USD 500 per day, effective from August 23, 2024, until the required documents are submitted.

Bandari FC

Bandari FC was found to have outstanding payables to four former employees: Wilson Oduor Obungu, Daniel Mnyaro Mshamba, Kenneth Onyach Othieno, and David Kingatua Njuguini. The club initially failed to declare this information, which is a breach of the Club Licensing regulations. After reviewing the submitted documents and court judgments related to these former employees, the FIB granted Bandari their license for the 2024/25 season with sanctions for non-compliance with Article 61 of the FKF Men’s Club Licensing Regulations.

The FIB determined that Bandari’s submission of a declaration stating no overdue payables, despite being aware of the outstanding amounts, constituted falsified documentation. As a result, the FIB imposed a sanction of USD 15,000 on Bandari FC. The club must settle both the outstanding amounts and the imposed sanction within three months. Alternatively, Bandari FC may submit a comprehensive payment plan, signed by the club and the affected parties, detailing the terms for resolving these financial obligations within the stipulated period.

Key Deadlines and Compliance

The ongoing primary registration and transfer window provides teams with a 10-day grace period after the window closes to submit critical documents, including:

• The final team list of player registrations is on the club letterhead, signed by either the club chairman or CEO.
• A letter from the club’s medical insurer confirming that all listed players are covered under their medical scheme.

The FIB’s decisions emphasize the importance of adhering to the Club Licensing process, a cornerstone of professional football management. All FKF Premier League clubs are required to submit requisite applications each season and undergo mandatory spot checks to ensure compliance. The FIB has also directed Club Licensing management to conduct spot checks to verify that clubs adhere to National Club Licensing regulations.

According to Article 16 of the CAF Club Licensing Regulations, the licensor is mandated to continuously monitor adherence to these regulations and take necessary measures, including revoking a club’s license, should they fail to meet the set standards.

The Club Licensing process is crucial in promoting the professionalization of football globally by setting minimum standards that clubs must meet to participate in FKF and CAF competitions.

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