Kenya Rugby Union opens 2025/26 mid-season transfer window
By Joel Masibo, December 17, 2025The Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) has officially opened the 2025/2026 mid-season transfer window on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, ushering in a crucial period for clubs to strengthen their squads ahead of the second half of the season.
According to the memo released on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, KRU confirmed that the window will run until Wednesday, December 31, 2025, at 11:59 am, after which no player movements will be permitted until the next designated registration period.
Clubs’ responsibilities
According to the directive signed by KRU Chief Executive Officer Thomas Odundo, clubs bear full responsibility for ensuring that all their players are duly registered in line with union regulations. KRU emphasised that a transfer will only be considered complete once all required documentation has been properly submitted and the necessary fees paid before the deadline.
The memo further clarified circumstances under which a club may lawfully deny a player’s transfer request. These include cases where a player has a valid contract registered with KRU, is serving a disciplinary sanction that has been duly communicated to the union, or owes money to their current club.
Registration closure
In a significant provision aimed at avoiding unnecessary delays, KRU stated that if an approached club fails to respond to a transfer request, the union will assume acceptance of the offer and allow the transfer to proceed, provided the prescribed fees have been paid.
KRU also announced that the player registration system will be closed from January 1, 2026, at 12:00 am. Following this closure, the updated player register will be published. Clubs have been cautioned against fielding players who are not properly registered, warning that failure to comply could attract sanctions.