Perplexing. Bewildering. Befuddling. Confounding. Baffling. This was the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) in 2022, with some of the befuddling factors promising to spill into 2023.The topflight league in Kenya in 2022 was a beehive of activities throughout the year, both good and bad, but mostly bad, a tumultuous year that has had adverse effects in a couple of clubs in the top flight on all fronts.It goes without saying that the tussle between the government and the Football Kenya Federation for the better part of the year, since the latter stages of 2021, would have implications on the topflight league in the country and that it did.How political decisions tragically swayed Kenyan football like a seesaw in 2022It was a year when the top flight has been under the stewardship of three bodies. First, it was the FKF Caretaker Committee at the turn of the year which then morphed into the FKF Transition Committee in May, and later the FKF took over upon reinstatement by the current Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba.With no sponsors on board, the FKF Caretaker Committee had to chip in and offer monthly grants to clubs, giving Ksh 300,000 to each of the FKFPL sides per month in an attempt to bridge the gap but in the end, it was not enough for teams like Mathare United who had to fold just past midway through the campaign.That moment portrayed just how far our clubs in the top tier are from being self-sufficient financially, an aspect of the game that has trailed for a long now, an area where the reset button has to be hit as soon as possible.One time you are referring to Tusker FC as 13-time Kenyan champions, the next time you correct and have to refer to them as 12-time, then 13 again. And the confusion goes further.Tusker retain FKF PL league after final day drama including two walkoversIn June, the Brewers were crowned champions for what would be their 13th title but a proclamation by the FKF in November nullified the competitions run by the FKF Caretaker Committee, and the Transition Committee by extension, with the FKFPL being top on the list. To this moment, it is still a quagmire.In a recent ruling, the Sports Dispute Tribunal, under the chairmanship of Justice John Ohaga issued an interim order of injunction to FKF staying the recent decision by the NEC that announced no promotion nor relegation, sending more confusion into the air.The FKFPL was constantly on the courts for the better part of the year, with different facets contesting different issues, the one contested most being the validity of the league and the fate of teams that were to be promoted/relegated.Soon after the injunction by Ohaga, FKF moved to the Constitutional Court and were granted a stay of execution that paved the way for clubs previously relegated by FKF Transition Committee to reclaim their places, and Vihiga Bullets, Mathare United, and Wazito FC featured for the first time in the 2022/23 FKFPL campaign.FKF leagues in jeopardy as clubs accuse federation of misleading Constitutional CourtWith the 2022/23 campaign already in high gear, and there being unresolved issues on matters of promotion and relegation, perhaps we could have more confusion spilling into 2023.There were reshuffles in the coaching departments of different clubs, with only six out of the 18 FKFPL clubs maintaining one coach throughout the year. Tusker FC, KCB, Kariobangi Sharks, AFC Leopards, Nairobi City Stars, Bidco United, and FC Talanta were the only teams that did not change coaches in those 365 days of 2022.Kenya Police led the hunt. At the start of the year, John Bobby Ogolla was in charge but his tenure was brought to an end in May, with Sammy Pamzo Omollo taking over the reins of the Law Enforcers. Pamzo did not last long, and earlier in December Francis Baraza was brought in to replace Omollo.Out goes Pamzo, in comes Baraza as Police rejig Technical BenchIt was a sad year also that saw up to four players who have featured in the top flight in the last decade die, perhaps the most chilling one being the demise of promising midfielder Wisdom Naya.A dark cloud enclaved on July 14, 2022, when news broke that the budding midfielder had rested after battling soft tissue Sarcoma a type of cancer of the born that he had been diagnosed with, succumbing to complications that arose from an amputation that he underwent in January in India.The youngster had his amputated in January after he got diagnosed with cancerous soft-tissue Sarcoma in December 2020. After several chemotherapy sessions, his situation did not improve and he moved to India for specialized treatment where his left foot was amputated.Former Sofapaka midfielder Naya Wisdom loses his battle with tissue cancerThe 18-year old was upbeat after returning from India and expressed confidence that he would eventually beat the disease and lead a normal life. He however developed complications that affected other organs before he succumbed to the disease on Friday morning.Apart from Naya, former Gor Mahia, Sher Karuturi, and KCB midfielder Peter Juma, former Tusker, Nakuru All-Stars, Mathare United, Sony Sugar and Ushuru FC midfielder David Mwangi, and recently former Mbotela Kamaliza, Nairobi Stima, Coast Stima, Tusker, KCB, and Wazito FC defender Mark Odhiambo rested, all in the last six months. May they rest in eternal peace.May 2023 bring better tidings!
