The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League return to action after the FIFA international break with focus on the eagerly-awaited Mashemeji derby between rivals AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia at Nyayo Stadium on Sunday.

The top-flight took a break for two weeks to pave the way for national team Harambee Stars, who were involved in 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches. Kenya under new coach Benni McCarthy drew their Group F matchday five fixture 3-3 against Gambia, before losing 2-1 against Gabon.

A total of eight matches have been lined up across the country on Saturday and Sunday, with table leaders Kenya Police and second-placed Tusker also in action.

First, Tusker will have a chance to move two points clear at the top, for only 24 hours, if they manage to beat Bidco United on Saturday. However, the Brewers’ stay at the top could be shortlived, should the law enforcers beat Posta Rangers on Sunday.

As it stands, Police are leading the way with 45 points from 24 matches while Tusker are lying second, just one point less from the same number of matches.

However, focus will be on the derby, the first between the two Kenyan giants this season, after the first round fixture was postponed twice following a lack of a standard approved pitch that could host both sets of fans.

The derby comes at a time when the record champions K’Ogalo are chasing for the top spot, and a win against Ingwe coupled with defeats for Police and Tusker, will see them move top with 45 points. They are currently third on 42 points, and have two matches in hand.

For Ingwe, they look headed for another trophyless season, as their only hope for a trophy, the FKF Cup – saw them kicked out in favour of MarA Sugar following the crowd trouble that marred their round of 32 fixture in Awendo.

In the league, they are sitting fifth with 36 points accumulated from nine wins, nine draws and five defeats. Gor Mahia have dominated the derby in recent years with Ingwe mostly playing catch-up. As per the records, the last six matches have seen Ingwe manage only one win against K’Ogalo.

Last season, it was K’Ogalo who took the bragging rights by sealing a double over their nemesis. In the first-round meeting, Gor Mahia secured a 2-0 win before sealing a 1-0 victory in the second-round meeting on their way to winning a record 21st league title.

In 2023, the two sides battled to a 0-0 draw in the first-round meeting but Ingwe took the honours in the second-round fixture after beating Gor Mahia 2-1 and ended their 10-match winless run against the champions.

During the 2021 campaign, Gor Mahia emerged 1-0 winners in the first meeting before the two sides shared the spoils in the reverse fixture.

In the 2019 campaign, Gor Mahia proved too strong for Ingwe. In the first-round meeting, they hammered Ingwe 3-1 before they sealed a memorable double after thrashing them 4-1 in the second-round fixture. In that season only, Gor Mahia scored seven goals against their rivals and conceded only two.

As of 2024, Gor Mahia have won the Kenyan Premier League a record 21 times, while Leopards have 12 league titles to their name.
Arguably, the real derby was born in 1980, after K’Ogalo dethroned Ingwe (then Abaluhya FC) at the final of the East and Central Africa Club championship in Malawi.

Before that, the dominant match in Kenyan football shifted depending on which teams were controlling the landscape.