Kenya’s top division goes by three names. Kenyan Premier League, FKF Premier League and SportPesa League all describe the same competition, which is one reason newcomers find it confusing before a ball is even kicked.
The football itself is simpler than the naming. Eighteen clubs play each other home and away, the bottom three go down, and the champion earns a place in Africa’s biggest club competition.
Last updated: 19 October 2026.
Key Takeaways
- The FKF Premier League is Kenya’s top division, run by the Football Kenya Federation and currently sponsored as the SportPesa League.
- Eighteen clubs play 34 matches each, with three points for a win and one for a draw.
- The bottom three clubs are relegated automatically to the National Super League, and the top three from that division are promoted, since the old playoff has been scrapped.
- Gor Mahia won the 2025/26 title with 69 points, their record 22nd league championship, and earned a place in the CAF Champions League.
- Clubs can register up to seven foreign players, and a September 2026 agreement between clubs and the federation limits five per match.
What Is the FKF Premier League?
The FKF Premier League is the highest level of professional football in Kenya, and it has run in some form since 1963. It was known as the Kenya National Football League at first, became the Kenyan Premier League in 1998 and was incorporated as a company owned by its clubs in 2003.
Today the Football Kenya Federation controls its operations, which is where the FKF label comes from. Title sponsor SportPesa returned in September 2025 on a ten-year deal worth KSh1.12 billion, so the competition is also billed as the SportPesa League. For the history behind that sponsorship, our Kenyan Premier League guide tells the full story.
The League’s Names, Sponsors and Money
Few leagues have changed names as often as this one, which is why Kenyan fans use “KPL,” “FKF PL” and “SportPesa League” interchangeably. The competition started in 1963 as the Kenya National Football League, was known as the Kenyan Super League at times, and became the Kenyan Premier League from 1998. In October 2003 its clubs formed a limited-liability company under Kenya’s Companies Act to run it.
| Period | Name | Deal |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 to 2015 | Tusker Premier League | East African Breweries, KSh170 million |
| 2015 to 2018 | SportPesa Premier League | SportPesa, KSh450 million |
| 2020 to 2021 | BetKing Premier League | Five-year KES 1.2 billion deal, terminated in 2021 |
| 2021 to 2025 | FKF Premier League | Run by the federation |
| 2025 to 2035 | SportPesa League | Ten-year deal worth about KSh1.12 billion |
Under the current arrangement, about 60% of league revenue goes directly to the 18 clubs and 40% supports the federation in running the competition. A 12 kg brass trophy was introduced in 2015.
On television, Azam TV signed a seven-year deal in August 2023 reported at US$9.1 million, with a 10% annual increase after the first season. StarTimes had signed a seven-year deal in November 2020 worth US$1.1 million a year, and SuperSport was a long-standing broadcaster before that.
How the Season Works
The league runs on a double round-robin, meaning each of the 18 clubs plays every other club twice, once at home and once away. That comes to 34 matches per team.
A win earns three points, a draw one and a defeat none. If teams finish level, the table is separated by goal difference and then goals scored, and our explainer on GD, GF and GA shows how to read those columns.
The calendar shifted in 2018 from February to November to an August-to-May format, to match the European season. The 2025/26 campaign ran from September 2025 to the end of May 2026.
Promotion and Relegation in Kenyan Football
Kenya’s league pyramid has three main men’s tiers, and the movement between them changed in 2025. The old playoff between the 16th-placed top-flight team and the third-placed side from the second division has gone.
| Tier | Division | Clubs | Movement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FKF Premier League (SportPesa League) | 18 | Bottom 3 relegated |
| 2 | National Super League | 20 | Top 3 promoted, bottom 4 relegated |
| 3 | Division One | 4 zones of 16 | Zone winners promoted, bottom 3 per zone relegated |
Under the current rules, the bottom three in the Premier League drop straight to the National Super League, and the top three there go up automatically. At the end of 2025/26, Bidco United and Sofapaka finished in the bottom two, and 16th-placed Kariobangi Sharks were relegated under the automatic rule, a decision now being contested in court.
Kenyan Premier League Champions: Full List Since 1963
| Period | Champions by season |
|---|---|
| 1963 to 1969 | 1963 Nakuru All-Stars, 1964 Luo Union, 1965 Feisal, 1966 Abaluhya (now AFC Leopards), 1967 Abaluhya, 1968 Gor Mahia, 1969 not held |
| 1970 to 1979 | 1970 Abaluhya, 1971 scrapped, 1972 Tusker, 1973 Abaluhya, 1974 Gor Mahia, 1975 Luo Union, 1976 Gor Mahia, 1977 Tusker, 1978 Tusker, 1979 Gor Mahia |
| 1980 to 1989 | 1980 to 1982 AFC Leopards, 1983 to 1985 Gor Mahia, 1986 AFC Leopards, 1987 Gor Mahia, 1988 and 1989 AFC Leopards |
| 1990 to 1999 | 1990 and 1991 Gor Mahia, 1992 AFC Leopards, 1993 Gor Mahia, 1994 Tusker, 1995 Gor Mahia, 1996 Tusker, 1997 Utalii, 1998 AFC Leopards, 1999 Tusker |
| 2000 to 2009 | 2000 Tusker, 2001 and 2002 Oserian, 2003 to 2005 Ulinzi Stars, 2006 Sony Sugar, 2007 Tusker, 2008 Mathare United, 2009 Sofapaka |
| 2010 to 2019 | 2010 Ulinzi Stars, 2011 and 2012 Tusker, 2013 to 2015 Gor Mahia, 2016 Tusker, 2017 Gor Mahia, 2018 Gor Mahia, 2018/19 Gor Mahia |
| 2019/20 onwards | 2019/20 Gor Mahia, 2020/21 and 2021/22 Tusker, 2022/23 and 2023/24 Gor Mahia, 2024/25 Kenya Police, 2025/26 Gor Mahia |
Titles by Club
| Club | Titles |
|---|---|
| Gor Mahia | 22 |
| Tusker | 13 |
| AFC Leopards | 12 |
| Ulinzi Stars | 4 |
| Luo Union | 2 |
| Oserian | 2 |
| Nakuru All-Stars, Feisal, Utalii, Sony Sugar, Mathare United, Sofapaka, Kenya Police | 1 each |
Gor Mahia’s run from 2013 to 2015 and from 2017 to 2020 shows how a single club can dominate, while Tusker’s back-to-back wins in 2020/21 and 2021/22 and Kenya Police’s first title in 2024/25 show the opposite.
The Clubs Worth Knowing
Eighteen clubs is a lot to keep track of. These are the ones that shape the title race.
1. Gor Mahia
Gor Mahia are the benchmark, with 22 league titles, including the 2025/26 championship on 69 points after a 20-win season. They also won the league in 2022/23 and 2023/24.
2. Tusker
Tusker have won 13 league titles, the second-highest total in Kenya. Their most recent came in 2021/22, when they took back-to-back championships.
3. AFC Leopards
AFC Leopards have 12 titles and finished second in 2025/26. The club last won the league in 1998. Their fixtures against Gor Mahia are known as the Mashemeji Derby.
4. Kenya Police
Kenya Police won the 2024/25 championship, the first league title in the club’s history, and finished third the following season. They show that the title is not always a two-horse race.
5. Ulinzi Stars
Ulinzi Stars have four league titles and striker Paul Okoth finished second in the 2025/26 scoring charts, behind Murang’a SEAL’s Joe Waithira.
2025/26 FKF Premier League Final Table
The 2025/26 season ran from 20 September 2025 to 30 May 2026 and produced 560 goals in 260 matches, an average of 2.15 per game. Kenya Police started it as defending champions, the first time they had held the title.
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gor Mahia | 34 | 20 | 9 | 5 | 50 | 22 | +28 | 69 |
| 2 | AFC Leopards | 34 | 19 | 7 | 8 | 44 | 28 | +16 | 64 |
| 3 | Kenya Police | 34 | 13 | 16 | 5 | 31 | 21 | +10 | 55 |
| 4 | Nairobi United | 34 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 44 | 34 | +10 | 53 |
| 5 | Shabana | 34 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 35 | 34 | +1 | 52 |
| 6 | Kakamega Homeboyz | 34 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 47 | 37 | +10 | 49 |
| 7 | KCB | 34 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 36 | 37 | -1 | 48 |
| 8 | Murang’a SEAL | 34 | 13 | 8 | 13 | 42 | 41 | +1 | 47 |
| 9 | Tusker | 34 | 13 | 6 | 15 | 27 | 32 | -5 | 45 |
| 10 | APS Bomet | 34 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 37 | 35 | +2 | 44 |
| 11 | Mara Sugar | 34 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 30 | 30 | 0 | 44 |
| 12 | Bandari | 34 | 9 | 17 | 8 | 26 | 26 | 0 | 44 |
| 13 | Ulinzi Stars | 34 | 11 | 8 | 15 | 34 | 37 | -3 | 41 |
| 14 | Mathare United | 34 | 11 | 8 | 15 | 31 | 35 | -4 | 41 |
| 15 | Posta Rangers | 34 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 31 | 40 | -9 | 40 |
| 16 | Kariobangi Sharks | 34 | 8 | 14 | 12 | 30 | 33 | -3 | 38 |
| 17 | Bidco United (relegated) | 34 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 19 | 40 | -21 | 27 |
| 18 | Sofapaka (relegated) | 34 | 3 | 10 | 21 | 19 | 51 | -32 | 19 |
APS Bomet and Nairobi United were the two promoted clubs, and both finished in the top half. Nairobi City Stars and Talanta went the other way after 2024/25. Gor Mahia’s 28-goal difference and AFC Leopards’ 16 were far clear of the rest, and Sofapaka’s 19 points were the lowest in the table by a distance.
Golden Boot and Awards, 2025/26
Joe Waithira of Murang’a SEAL won the Golden Boot with 19 goals, ahead of Ulinzi Stars’ Paul Okoth. Stephen Ochieng of Shabana won the Golden Glove with 16 clean sheets, and Charles Akonnor was in charge of the champions.
Recent Golden Boot Winners
| Season | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019/20 | Timothy Otieno | Tusker | 14 |
| 2020/21 | Erick Kapaito | Kariobangi Sharks | 24 |
| 2021/22 | Derrick Otanga | KCB | 16 |
| 2022/23 | Elvis Rupia | Kenya Police | 27 |
| 2023/24 | Benson Omala | Gor Mahia | 19 |
| 2024/25 | Moses Shumah | Kakamega Homeboyz | 17 |
| 2025/26 | Joe Waithira | Murang’a SEAL | 19 |
Elvis Rupia’s 27 goals in 2022/23 are the single-season record, in a campaign that also saw a record 10 hat-tricks. John Baraza has won the Golden Boot three times, in 2009, 2010 and 2012, and Rupia leads the career hat-trick list with five.
League Rules and Tie-Breakers
If clubs are level on points, the table is decided by goal difference, then goals scored, then head-to-head record. Ties for the title, for relegation or for a continental place can be settled in a playoff at a neutral venue. The Football Kenya Federation is a shareholder and voting member of the league board, which is why it holds so much sway over rule changes.
Foreign Player and Squad Rules
Clubs in the top four tiers may register up to seven foreign nationals per season, according to the federation’s 2025/26 structure. For 2026/27, an agreement reached on 16 September between clubs and the FKF caps the number allowed in a single match at five.
The per-match cap limits how many foreign players a side can use at once. The national team still leans on home-based players, as our explainer on who the Harambee Stars are shows.
How Kenya Qualifies for African Competition
The champion of the FKF Premier League earns a place in the CAF Champions League. Gor Mahia qualified for the 2026/27 edition by winning the 2025/26 title.
If you want to know what that involves, our guide to the CAF Champions League explains how clubs get from a preliminary round to the group stage.
What Is Happening With the 2026/27 Season?
The 2026/27 campaign got off to a messy start. It was pushed back from the opening days of September and set for 19 September after clubs and the federation agreed terms, but conflicting court orders around that date left the start unconfirmed.
The dispute centres on Kariobangi Sharks and Mombasa United, the third-placed side in the National Super League, and whether relegation should be automatic or settled by a playoff. In reports dated 19 September 2026, no new start date had been announced.
FKF Premier League FAQ
How many teams are in the FKF Premier League?
There are 18 clubs, and each plays 34 matches.
Who has won the most Kenyan Premier League titles?
Gor Mahia, with 22. Tusker have 13 and AFC Leopards 12.
Who won the FKF Premier League in 2025/26?
Gor Mahia, with 69 points. AFC Leopards finished second on 64.
When did Kenya’s league start?
In 1963, as the Kenya National Football League. Nakuru All-Stars were the first champions.
Who sponsors the league?
SportPesa, which returned as title sponsor in September 2025 on a ten-year deal. Tusker, SportPesa and BetKing were previous title sponsors.
How many teams are relegated?
Under the current rules, the bottom three go down automatically to the National Super League, though the 2025/26 outcome has been disputed.
How many foreign players can Kenyan clubs use?
Clubs can register up to seven, and a September 2026 agreement limits a matchday squad to five foreign players.
Who won the Golden Boot in 2025/26?
Joe Waithira of Murang’a SEAL, with 19 goals.
Which Kenyan clubs play in Africa?
The champion earns a place in the CAF Champions League, which is Gor Mahia’s reward for 2026/27.
What to Watch in Kenya’s Top Flight This Season
The FKF Premier League is an 18-club, 34-game league with automatic promotion and relegation, a seven-player foreign quota and a Champions League place for the winner. Gor Mahia remain the team to beat, but Kenya Police’s 2024/25 title proves the door is open.
If you follow only one thing this season, follow how the promotion dispute is resolved, since it will show whether the new rules hold. And if you are choosing a club to watch, start with the champions and work outwards.