Kariobangi Sharks’ legal battle against their relegation from the FKF Premier League has taken a new turn after the High Court transferred the matter to the High Court Civil Appeals Tribunal for hearing.
The case, Kariobangi Sharks Football Club vs Football Kenya Federation, Andrew Leif and 1 Other, is filed at the Milimani High Court under Case No. HCCA/E672/2026.
In directions issued by Hon. Justice Linus P. Kassan, the court ordered that the matter be transferred to the High Court Civil Appeals Tribunal. The inter partes hearing of Sharks’ motion, dated August 13, 2026, has been scheduled for August 25, 2026, before Hon. Lady Justice Janet Mulwa.
The development comes after Sharks moved to the High Court to challenge a decision of the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) concerning FKF’s 2025 promotion and relegation regulations.
The SDT recently upheld the contested regulations, ruling that they had been validly ratified by the Football Kenya Federation National Executive Committee (NEC) and did not require approval by the FKF General Assembly. The Tribunal also found that the regulations had undergone sufficient public participation before their adoption.
Among the key provisions in the regulations was the abolition of the promotion and relegation playoff, with three teams from the FKF Premier League to be automatically relegated and three teams from the National Super League promoted.
The decision directly affected Kariobangi Sharks, who finished the 2025/26 Premier League season in the relegation zone and were consequently condemned to drop to the National Super League.
Sharks have challenged the SDT decision at the High Court, seeking to stop the implementation of the ruling that would send the club to the second tier.
The transfer of the case to the Civil Appeals Tribunal now sets the stage for a substantive hearing on August 25, when the court is expected to consider the club’s motion and the issues surrounding the implementation of FKF’s promotion and relegation framework.
The proceedings represent a final legal push to preserve Kariobangi sharks top-flight status, while the outcome could have wider implications for the implementation of FKF’s 2025 competition regulations.
