NAIROBI, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Kenya followed the lead from the Netherlands and France on Thursday when the local football federation announced it had canceled the 2019-20 premier league season due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the decision has sparked uproar among domestic teams.
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) declared titleholders Gor Mahia the 2019/20 Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions and the club that now extends its domestic top-flight success record to 19 will represent the country in next season's Confederation of African Football(CAF) Champions League.
However, the announcement has drawn strong reactions from local football stakeholders, focusing on the question of who is the champion.
Also canceled are the National Super League (NSL), FKF National Division One and FKF Division Two that represent the second, third and fourth-tier leagues in addition to the FKF Grassroots Leagues as well as the Women Premier League and Division One competition.
"The extraordinary step has been reluctantly arrived at, in an effort aimed at safeguarding the well-being, safety and good health of the thousands of football players, technical bench members, fans and the general public," FKF CEO, Barry Otieno said in a statement on Thursday evening.
Earlier, FKF president Nick Mwendwa, tweeted "Congratulations Gor Mahia! You are champions once again and you will represent Kenya on the champions league next season. Let's do this!"
The decision to annul the season comes in a week of uncertainty after the continental body CAF wrote to members on Tuesday giving them until May 5 to communicate their plans on the fate of domestic football seasons in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Football leagues in Kenya were suspended on March 16 following the decision made by the government to suspend all social gatherings of more than 15 people in the aftermath of the country announcing its first COVID-19 cases.
FKF invoked Rule 2.6.1.2 of the rules and regulations governing Kenyan football to crown Gor Mahia champions having topped the standings midway through the disrupted campaign on 39 points from 16 games.
At the time of suspension, Gor Mahia had played 23 out of 32 rounds representing 68 percent of the season and were atop the standings on 54 points, sevens ahead of second-placed Kakamega Homeboyz who had a game in hand.
Homeboyz chairman, Cleophas Shumanyula, led the chorus of condemnation alleging the move was made to save 2018 domestic cup winners, Kariobangi Sharks, a team associated with Mwendwa, from relegation.
"We can only wait for the declaration from KPL because they are mandated to do so. Mwendwa is not in office now and cannot purport to declare the league is ended. He has no such powers completely," Shimanyula whose side was chasing a first-ever league crown stated.
Gor chairman, Ambrose Rachier, chose to reserve his comments despite his side standing to add a sixth title in seven seasons.
"I would like to reserve my comments as at now because I am wearing two hats as both the chairman of Gor Mahia and KPL. Making any comment as at now would be a conflict of interest."
Gor arch-rivals, AFC Leopards announced later Thursday that they would petition the country's Sports Dispute Tribunal (SDT) to halt FKF from handing the reigning champions the crown.
"What is the hurry for? We are consulting and in a few days, we will take the next step. Champions are declared on the pitch, if not then the league should be voided," Leopards chairman and former Kenya international, Dan Shikanda said.
Leopards were sitting sixth on 40 points and had an outside chance of bagging what would have been their 13th league crown as the second most decorated club in Kenyan history.
Another top-side, Tusker FC, who are the 11-time league winners, also condemned the decision they termed 'premature'.
"I think the Federation should make it clear the arithmetic they used because we were leading at the end of the first leg. I really would not have wanted us to finish the season in controversy because it would not look good when we are looking for sponsors," their chairman Daniel Aduda, remarked.
"It is a ridiculous decision because KPL is run by its stakeholders which are the clubs. There is no way the chairman of FKF can declare champions. It is up to the governing council to decide. We are reaching out to the chair Rachier so that we know the way forward," Kenyan football team Chemelil Sugar co-owner, Moses Adagala, lamented.
The Kenyan topflight is managed on behalf of FKF by KPL Limited, a company with a shareholding of all teams playing in the top division that has been at loggerheads with the Mwendwa administration since he was first elected into office in Feb. 2016.
"KPL wishes to state that it is strongly against annulling the league at this stage without first exploring other avenues which will see the season played to the end. The COVID-19 pandemic is not unique to just Kenya and, therefore, we see no urgency to have the league ended by May 15," part of a letter written to FKF and signed by its CEO, Jack Oguda said.
Before the league was suspended, FKF had announced they would not renew the contract to run the top flight with KPL Limited following its lapse at the end of the 2019-20 campaign, an issue that has become a divisive and emotive topic in the run-up to the delayed football elections in the country.
Amid COVID-19, FKF is facing the new row over the cancellation of the 2019-20 season, coming a week after Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, extended the suspension of gatherings and the dawn to dusk curfew in place as efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 for a further 21 days. Enditem
