Kenya: Kariobangi Sharks in Hot Soup As Sdt Dismiss Appeal Against Relegation to Nsl

What the report says

Kariobangi Sharks have lost an appeal aimed at blocking their relegation to Kenya’s National Super League after the Sports Disputes Tribunal sided with the Football Kenya Federation’s leagues and competitions committee, according to Capital FM, as republished by AllAfrica. The case was heard in Nairobi and centered on the club’s challenge to new FKF promotion and relegation rules introduced last year.

Sharks argued that the revised regulations were not properly made because, in their view, there was no adequate public participation and the FKF National Executive Committee should not have approved them without a general assembly. The tribunal rejected those arguments, finding that the club had not first exhausted the internal dispute-resolution steps available within FKF and that the regulations had been validly ratified.

The ruling matters because the updated rules changed how teams move between the top division and the second tier. Under the newer framework, the bottom three Premier League sides are relegated automatically and the top three NSL teams are promoted. That is how Sofapaka, Bidco United and Kariobangi Sharks were sent down, while Migori Youth, 3K FC and Mombasa United moved up.

Capital FM also reported that Sharks, who finished 16th in the 2025/26 season, had previously expected a playoff under the older rules. The report noted that another court case in Murang’a is still pending, so the club could yet seek a different outcome.