APS Bomet goes to court, demands to be in top tier
Sports Dispute Tribunal (SDT) yesterday suspended Football Kenya Federation (FKF) decision to nullify promotion and relegation of teams in the 2021/22 season.
The tribunal chairperson John Ohaga issued the temporary orders pending the hearing and determination of a lawsuit by last season’s National Super League (NSL) winners Administration Police Service (APS) Bomet and Division One winners Kona Rangers. That an interim order of injunction be and hereby issued staying the decision by the FKF National Executive Committee on promotion and relegations, pending the full hearing and determination of the application,” ordered Ohaga.
The two petitioners have challenged the decision to deny them promotion to the FKF-PL and the National Super League respectively after topping their respective divisions.
The duo want the SDT to instruct the federation to include them in the FKF-PL fixtures which are set to kick off this weekend on November 19. In their lawsuit papers, they also want the tribunal to declare the resolutions made by the FKF committee on November 9 on promotions and relegation declared null and void.
“ The tribunal issues orders setting aside the Resolutions of the FKF and its Executive Committee declaring that there will be no promotions or relegations in football leagues for the 2022/2023 season,” seeks the petitioners.
They further want the decision by Football Kenya Federation leagues and competition committee be set aside for failure to include them and Dimba Patriots, Mayenje Santos and Kibera Soccer Women who were also affected in the recently released league fixtures for 2022 and 2023.
“The Football Kenya Federation leagues and competition committee be ordered not to commence the 2022/2023 football season on November 19,2022 and November 26, 2022 without including the petitioners and interested parties in their respective promotion leagues,” the petitioners informed the tribunal.
The suit followed after the petitioners were aggrieved by the decision of NEC issued last friday which annulled the 201/22 season hence putting off promotion and relegation in the FKF-PL, WPL, NSL and FKF Division One Leagues. The decsion was communicated via a letter signed by FKF Secretary-General Barry Otieno.
In order to resolve the dispute, the tribunal yesterday also directed APS Bomet and Kona Rangers to serve the 15 respondents including FKF with all their pleadings in the matter by Friday, November 18.
In the dispute Dimba Patriots, Mayenje Santos and Kibera Soccer Women, who were also affected by the NEC decision, and Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba have been listed as interested parties in the case.
The case will be mentioned on Tuesday November 22 at 2:30pm for further directions.
