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As the 2023-24 Kenyan Premier League season edges closer to its conclusion, the spotlight intensifies on the battle not just for the title, but also for survival.

While perennial powerhouse Gor Mahia appears poised to clinch a record-extending title, there is still much intrigue as to what is going to happen on the lower end of the table.

Nzoia Sugar will definitely drop which is strange for a team that finished only seven points adrift of league title success last season. That unprecedented success has contributed to their failure as they lost almost all their best players during the off-season transfer window.

Their pitfall shows the challenges faced by smaller clubs in maintaining competitiveness against financially stronger opposition.

Next is the case of Shabana and Muhoroni Youth who occupy the other two relegation spots. A fortnight ago, it looked like Shabana’s race was ran but two successive victories, including a 2-1 success over Muhoroni in a relegation six-pointer, has the Gusii side dreaming of survival once again.

Much fanfare welcomed Shabana back to the big boys table, and rightly so. Besides Mashemeji rivals Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards, Shabana can lay claim to being the third best-supported club in the country.

Their journey back to the topflight took a painful and gritty 17 years and it was moving to see how much bliss and pride it brought to the fans. The Tore Bobe faithful followed their team all the way during their push for promotion and they even increased in numbers this season.

Expectedly, those numbers have been going down since the turn of the year as the club struggled for results – they had recorded only one win this year.

They will be looking at the table now and thinking they can salvage the season after all. Should they manage to – and I hope they do – the fans and the league stand to benefit.

If there were one thing that the Kenyan topflight has failed to achieve, that would be attracting fans to the stadiums. Empty stands and terraces paint matches across the country yet we all know globally the role of the proverbial 12th man.

They make football exciting. Their voices, the on and off-field banter, the drums, whistles, flares, Isukutis, legal, and illegal, smoke… the lot, all make this game beautiful.

In addition, that is why there is a case for a team like Shabana to remain in the league. A football result should affect a majority, not just a few boardroom honchos.

There must be pain and elation in equal measure when there is victory or otherwise.

That is why the league will be at much loss should Shabana go down. Luckily, Coach Sammy Omollo’s side still have their fate in their hands. They additionally have what Muhoroni Youth, or even Sofapaka who are not entirely safe, don’t have – the fans.

The writer is a communications professional.