A season of high lows as the curtain falls on the 2023-24 FKF Premier League season

The 2023–24 FKF Premier League concludes on Sunday, June 23, 2024, after what has been 10 months of high-octane football action on the pitch and dramatic, uplifting, and worrying events off it. Without further ado, here are the 10 talking points that dominated conversations during the 2023–24 FKF Premier League season.

1. Gor Mahia’s dominance

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 Gor Mahia comfortably defended their league title, winning a record 21^st league championship with three rounds of matches to spare. K’Ogalo went unbeaten in its first 19 matches, during which they collected 43 points from 12 victories and seven draws.

That run of form also saw Gor Mahia race to a 10-point lead at the top of the league table, and by the time Kenya Police FC halted their unbeaten run with a 3-1 victory in Round 20 at the Police Sacco Stadium, that minor setback left them leading the standings with an eight-point cushion.

Further slumps against Ulinzi Stars (draw), Bandari (defeat), and Kakamega Homeboyz (draw) did little to derail as the inability of the chasing pack comprising Tusker, Kenya Police, and Bandari to maintain a winning streak at crucial stages of the season worked to Gor Mahia’s advantage, who managed to extend their lead to the top of the table to nine points before extending it to the unassailable 11 points when they defeated Muhoroni Youth 3-0 in Round 30 to seal the title.

Compared to Gor Mahia’s previous title-winning squads, the class of 2023–24 pales in terms of brilliance and talent, but still, the club managed to demonstrate that the gulf between them and the other clubs is like day and night.

2. Promotion of Murang’a SEAL and Shabana

 The promotion of Murang’a SEAL and Shabana added pomp and colour to the 2023–24 FKF Premier League as the two clubs gained wide support. Shabana, in particular, was followed all over the country by a legion of loyal fans who never stopped hoping that their team would overcome its relegation survival woes and guarantee its presence in the top flight next season. Shabana, who returned to the top flight after a 17-year absence, spent large parts of the season battling against relegation, and the season finale has arrived with them, hoping that a final-day miracle will ensure their survival. For Murang’a SEAL, such worries never troubled them. If anything, at one point in the season, they were the toast of the league as they led the league table for a handful of rounds. Indeed, for the excitement they brought to the league, it is the hope of almost every FKF Premier League fan that Shabana remains in the top flight, but that all depends on what fate holds for them in Round 34.

3. Azam TV deal

 After six years of the top flight league running without an official broadcaster, there was a sigh of relief when Azam TV, a Tanzanian broadcast company, and the Football Kenya Federation announced a Sh 1.3 billion partnership deal in August 2023 that secured the return of the FKF Premier League to the television screens. The deal, which runs for seven years, was a welcome relief for Kenyan top-flight football clubs and fans who were bereft of means to catch FKF Premier League action. The deal also boosted the revenue of the clubs, with Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier telling The Eastleigh Voice that Azam’s intervention has complemented the funds they get from their sponsors, SportPesa, and other sources of revenue.

4. Completion of Dandora Stadium

With the constant closure of the Kasarani and Nyayo, coupled with the poor state of the Nairobi City Stadium and the undesirability of other football grounds in Nairobi like Jericho’s Camp Toyoyo and Kawang’ware’s Hope Centre, the completion of Dandora Stadium and its subsequent approval by FKF to host top-flight matches was like a breath of fresh air. For a long time, Nairobi-based FKF Premier League teams, which constitute two-thirds of the competition, have had to host their matches in places in Machakos and even as far as Kisumu and Taita Taveta County. The opening of Dandora Stadium provided a welcome option as the match venue is at the heart of a vibrant neighbourhood; hence, there is guaranteed fan attendance, which brings energy and hype that is lacking in most FKF Premier League stadiums. If anything, the popularity of Dandora Stadium highlights the need to have more grounds of its calibre in other high-population Nairobi neighbourhoods like Kangemi, Kibera, Kawang’ware, Mathare, and Ziwani.

5. Kenya Police FC is overcharging Gor Mahia fans

The issue of scarcity of match venues in Nairobi also married with the suitability of the Police Sacco Stadium, home ground of Kenya Police FC, to host high-risk matches.

It has been the opinion of many Kenyan football fans and stakeholders that the stadium is only suitable for low-risk matches, as its lack of adequate seating space coupled with the presence of construction debris make it inappropriate to host high-risk matches.

However, desperate for victory over Gor Mahia when Kenya Police hosted the defending champions in Round 20, the law enforcers somehow had their way to have the match hosted at the Police Sacco Stadium, and to mitigate against the concerns raised about its suitability to host a high-risk game, the management of Kenya Police FC set ticket prices at Sh 1 500 (terraces), Sh 2 000 (VIP), and Sh 3 000 (VVIP).

For many, it was seen as a move designed to deny Gor Mahia fans attending the match in large numbers to cheer their club to victory. There is no denying that the suitability of the Police Sacco Stadium to host high-risk matches will continue to be an issue next season, and their move to set high ticket prices will continue to be criticised as a decision that prices out fans, even their own fans, out of matches.

6. Hostility at Muhoroni Stadium

 For yet another season, the spotlight shone on Muhoroni Youth over complaints of visiting clubs facing unwarranted hostility at their venues. Visiting clubs complained about not being allowed to access the football pitch on time, having their media team barred from taking photos and recording video footage of matches, and their fans, players, and club officials suffering other forms of harassment and intimidation from alleged fans and officials of Muhoroni Youth. The piling complaints led FKF, in October 2023, to ban Muhoroni Youth from hosting matches at their stadium for five rounds. Visiting clubs, as did the Nairobi City Stars in April 2023, also made complaints about being victims of biassed officiating when playing at Muhoroni Stadium.

Muhoroni stadium today.....where is security for the away team if this happens to a whole coach? Muhoroni Youth vs KCB FC. ⁦@Officialfkfpl⁩ ⁦@Nmwendwa⁩ ⁦@PoliceKE⁩ pic.twitter.com/QCj60JzfdD

— @MikeOkinyi HSC (@MikeOkinyi) October 9, 2023

7. FootballKE Fan Movement

 The 2023–24 FKF Premier League also saw the continued growth of the FootballKE Fan Movement, a legion of local football fans who have made it their calling to hype Kenyan football by hosting discussions online and encouraging people to watch matches at stadiums. This vibrant legion did its part in promoting the league by creating fun and captivating content around the league, clubs, coaches, and players. They shared the content on all social media platforms, which helped in generating more talking points and raising awareness about the FKF Premier League. The involvement of this fan group was also boosted by the players themselves being active participants in social media discussions and banter about Kenyan football.

8. The decline of Nzoia Sugar FC

Relegated with four rounds to go, the decline of Nzoia Sugar FC, who finished in fourth place during the 2022–23 FKF Premier League season, was a source of concern for the ardent Kenyan football fans, who admired the club’s reputation for remaining competitive despite losing its top players to other FKF Premier League clubs every season. However, it seems like the taps ran dry for Nzoia Sugar, and their conveyor belt of talent could not keep up with the demands of keeping the club competitive in the 2023–24 FKF Premier League season. As early as October, the club was already a relegation candidate, and their fate was sealed in Round 30 after a 0-0 draw with Nairobi City Stars in Mumias. With their exit already confirmed, one can only hope that the club will reorganise itself and stage a quick bounce back to the top flight next season.

9. The scourge of match-fixing

The ugly head of match-fixing reared its ugly head yet again during the 2023–24 FKF Premier League season. In May, FKF suspended five individuals, among them three match officials, one player, and a club official, over alleged involvement in match-fixing. FKF is still investigating the matter and has never released another statement on the issue since suspending the five. Match-fixing has continued to tarnish the name of the Kenyan game, and with the suspension of the five individuals following up on the suspensions and bans of many more players, match officials, and club officials over alleged involvement in the vice, concern is high among Kenyan football fans over the capability of FKF to eradicate the vice.

Hizi za leo ni clear match-fixing, especially hiyo ya Muhoroni vs. Nzoia#FootballKE

— Omwami Smart #RejectFinanceBill2024 (@raulnyabola) June 19, 2024

While FKF has organised training for players and club officials relating to shunning match-fixing as well as running some media campaigns through the use of social media hashtags, there is a general feeling that FKF will have to do so much more to nip the vice in the bud, and their actions will be watched closely next season.

10. The Return of John Mark Makwata

The return of John Mark Makwata to Kenyan football with the Kariobangi Sharks during the January transfer window ended up being a big blessing to Kenyan football fans, as the former Nairobi City Stars and Ulinzi Stars forward showed what Kenyan football has been missing. Makwata found the Kariobangi Sharks at risk of suffering relegation, but his 13 goals not only elevated the club from the red zone to the top half of the table, but he emerged as a top contender for the golden boot after tremendously closing the gap between himself and Gor Mahia’s Benson Omalla (16 years) and Kenya Police FC’s Tito Okello (15 goals). Whether or not he will finally clinch the golden boot, it goes without saying that for a player who only featured for half a season, Makwata’s impact in the 2023–24 FKF Premier League was immense.