Court hands Eldoret side promotion to Division One amid promotion/relegation legal battles
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Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 16.06.26. | 17:06
The club earned promotion in the 2025/26 season after winning their playoff match, securing a 2-0 victory over Tumkkas FC
Bondeni FC have been handed a major boost by the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) after the court directed the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to include the Eldoret-based side in the FKF Division One for the 2026/27 season.
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The decision further complicates the structure of Kenya’s third-tier league ahead of the new campaign, with FKF already facing multiple legal disputes concerning promotion and relegation across the top three divisions.
The Tribunal has also frozen all promotions and relegations in the country’s top three leagues pending the determination of related cases.
Bondeni FC earned promotion in the 2025/26 season after winning their playoff match, securing a 2-0 victory over Tumkkas FC, with goals from George Amimo and Desmond Mogire. However, the club’s name was later omitted from FKF’s official list of Division One teams under unclear circumstances.
Following their exclusion, Bondeni FC raised concerns over alleged irregularities in the promotion process, citing possible favouritism and political interference, but their protests were not addressed by the federation, prompting them to seek legal redress.
In a strongly worded statement, the club questioned the integrity of the process:
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"When the CEO of the Football Federation issues a clear directive on how the 10 promotion slots should be shared and those instructions are ignored, we have to ask ourselves: are football politics still at play, or is Bondeni FC being sidelined?”
“How did Webuye Sportif and AP Seals both get promoted without facing each other in the playoffs? This is the height of corruption and a complete disregard for the rules governing our sport.
We demand justice, fairness, and accountability. Let the game be won on the pitch, not in boardrooms.”
The matter was subsequently escalated to the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT), which, after months of proceedings, delivered a consent ruling in favour of Bondeni FC.
“The consent dated 4th May 2026, signed by all parties, is hereby adopted as the order of the Tribunal. The 6th applicant, Bondeni FC, be and is hereby admitted to the FKF Division One League season 2026–27 forthwith and be issued with a promotion letter by Football Kenya Federation (FKF).
Pursuant to the consent, Bondeni FC be and is hereby included and allowed to participate in the upcoming National Division One League fixtures for the 2026–27 season," read the ruling in part.