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Football Kenya Federation Premier League clubs are up in the arms following the introduction of stringent licensing requirements ahead of the 2024-2025 season.

Clubs are expected to meet certain thresholds to be cleared to participate in the top-tier competition.

The National Super League and the Women’s Premier League clubs have not been spared either.

Among the demands clubs plying trade in the men’s top tier should meet is having a head coach who has a CAF A coaching badge or an equivalent. Such an individual must be deputized by a holder of a CAF B coaching license or an equivalent in the new season.

This is a departure from the past, where top-tier clubs were mandated to have coaches with CAF B badges or an equivalent.

The fact that the directive was communicated to clubs in July means the eighteen outfits are racing against time to beat the deadline and, most importantly, be compliant.

The decision to stipulate a new requirement for coaches, however, appears to irk a good number of clubs who are requesting a review and time to organise themselves as the process requires additional funds.

Kakamega Homeboyz is among the clubs that didn’t embrace the new licensing regulations with open arms.
Team manager Boniface Imbenzi argues that the directive will lead to job losses and teams will incur costs in their bids to be compliant.

“We do not have a problem with complying with club licensing requirements since it comes from CAF. However, our question is: What happens to the coaches who were on contract, yet they didn’t have the CAF A license? You can’t fire them without attracting court cases,” Imbenzi told SportsBoom.com.

Imbenzi said hiring and sustaining two coaches with the highest badges in a single club was expensive in a league that is struggling to stabilize after years without commercial partners.

“CAF A and B coaches are very expensive. The federation ought to have considered this before passing the regulations to clubs. Not all clubs have shirt sponsors, and much as we appreciate the grants, we receive from the league body, they are not enough,” added Imbenzi, who advocated for gradual implementation of the licensing requirements.

Nairobi City Stars assert that time is limited to tick all licensing boxes right, and therefore an extension of the deadline will be much welcome.