A 16-team Kenyan Premier League could make its return in the 2026/2027 season, as per a raft of proposals fronted by the Football Kenya Federation on Monday, 16 June.FKF, in a bid to “improve competitiveness and viability” of Kenya’s league structure, has presented proposed amendments to the entire football pyramid, which span from the number of leagues across the country, the number of teams per league, as well as a clearly defined relegation and promotion criteria for each league.Follow our WhatsApp channel for more newsThe return of a 16-team Kenyan Premier League (KPL) is one of the eye-catching proposals, which advocates for the ditching of the current 18-team FKF Premier League after the 2025-2026 season.Kenya Police CEO proposes new changes in FKF Premier League and NSLTo achieve that, FKF intends next season’s top-tier to include 18 teams, but with four teams being relegated at the end of it to the National Super League (NSL).The scenario would, in turn, usher in the return of a 16-team top-tier league – the Kenyan Premier League.The new league is proposed to have all three bottom clubs at the end of the subsequent seasons relegated, with two teams from a revised second-tier getting promoted.The move, if agreed upon by clubs, would mark the demise of the 18-team FKF Premier League, which was born in January 2017.##NAJAVA_MECA_8977555##Split second-tierFor the NSL, FKF proposes another throwback – the splitting of the league into two zones, each comprising 12 sides.That change, if agreed, is to begin next season, with the league now taking up the name – Kenyan Super League.The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) is reportedly considering introducing a new structure to the National Super League (NSL) starting next season.According to early discussions, the second-tier league could be expanded to accommodate 24 clubs, up from the current 20, with the… pic.twitter.com/GVaTllNxRX— Brian Odhiambo (@Odhiambo_Brian1) June 15, 2025 There, the two zonal champions will earn automatic promotion to the Kenyan Premier League, with the three bottom sides on the other hand, getting relegated to the third-tier.Beginning the 2026-2027 season, FKF advocates for a similar split league, but comprising not more than 28 teams.The two zonal champions will still earn automatic promotion to the top-tier, together with a third team from a two-legged zonal playoff between teams that finish second and third in their respective zones.Sports Ministry calls for public participation in on-going nationwide reformsThree teams from each zone will get relegated to a newly named third tier – FKF Conference League.Conferences in Third-tierThe FKF Conference League meanwhile is to expand its divisions from the current two zones to four conferences (Eastern, Western, Northern and Southern) from next season, with their four winners getting automatic promotions to the Kenya Super League.The second-placed teams from each zone will engage in playoffs to determine the two teams also earning promotion, as the bottom three from each zone get relegated to the fourth-tier dubbed FKF Regional League.New date for Kenya Police’s coronation against Gor MahiaWell-defined Fourth-TierUnlike the current FKF Division Two with unclear composition, the proposed FKF Regional League is set to divided into the nine regional zones of the FKF namely; Central, Coast, Eastern, Lower Rift Valley, Nairobi, North Eastern, Nyanza, Upper Rift Valley and Western Regions.FKF advocates each Regional League to comprise of not more than 48 teams divided into zones comprising of not more than 16 teams per zone.At the end of the 2025-2026 season, champions in each region gain promotion to the FKF Conference League, with remaining teams decided through a playoff involving the second and third teams from each region.Relegation goes to the bottom four placed teams in each of the zones, poised for the new fifth tier – the FKF County League.Former AFC Leopards custodian planning for retirement with Ksh100,000 businessStandardized Fifth TierFKF recommends a fifth tier now involving the respective forty-eight (48) FKF counties, with each county league comprising not more than 64 teams divided into zones of not more than 16 teams per zone.The top team in each County gains promotion to the FKF Regional League, and joined by the second and third Placed teams from each zone facing each other in the playoffs.The bottom four placed teams in each of the County League zones on the hand suffer relegation to the lowest tier league – the FKF Sub-County LeagueFC Talanta coach on Emmanuel Osoro’s influence ahead of do or die Murang’a Seal matchDefined, standardized Lowest Tier FKF, unlike the current seventh-tier, proposes its Sub-County League to be played in the respective 290 FKF Sub Branches as stipulated inthe FKF Constitution, with each comprising not more than 48 teams divided into zones of not more than 16 teams per zone.Promotion to the County League is decided via playoff.##NAJAVA_MECA_8977562##Changes in Women’s LeagueFKF proposes minimal changes to the women’s game, but for two more teams in the second-tier, which will see three teams now get relegated from each zone, eight more teams in the third tier, and more structure to the fourth and fifth tier (the Women’s County League).
