Club Licensing: FKF tells teams to put house in order as deadline looms

The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) wants Premier League and National Super League clubs to get their houses in order, ready for the new season as club licensing deadline - requirements by September 6 –looms large.

During a one-day licensing workshop held Monday in Nairobi, FKF underscored the importance of compliance with FIFA regulations to promote professionalism, transparency, and sustainability in Kenyan football. The workshop brought together representatives from 18 clubs, including newly promoted APS Bomet.

The Federation as such wants swift action from the outfits to avoid last minute rushes.

APS Bomet CEO Rose Chemtai has however welcomed the development.  “We are lucky to have this chance to learn how to professionalize our clubs, and it is important that we run these requirements down to the club level,” she said, admitting that meeting infrastructure and security standards remains a major challenge.

FKF CEO Harold Ndege warned that failure to comply would attract sanctions from the Leagues and Competitions Committee. “This is meant to promote transparency, accountability, and openness,” he emphasized.

He also highlighted the financial obligations of the system, including the requirement for audited accounts and the declaration of overdue payments. To ensure compliance, clubs will now be subjected to quarterly audits to verify the validity of submitted documents.

Club licensing, which is applied globally, is anchored on five pillars: sporting, infrastructure, personnel and administration, legal, and financial. Only clubs that meet these minimum standards are issued licenses, enabling them to participate in both domestic and continental competitions.

According to FKF, the objectives of the licensing system are to improve club management, upgrade sporting infrastructure, strengthen financial stability through corporate governance, and ensure the sustainability of competitions.

All clubs seeking to represent Kenya in CAF interclub competitions must first obtain a license. Last month, women’s Premier League champions Kenya Police Bullets became the first team under the current FKF leadership to secure a license through CAF’s Club Licensing Online Platform (CLOP).

With the deadline fast approaching, FKF has urged clubs not to delay, warning that non-compliance could jeopardize their participation in both local and international competitions.