Football Kenya Federation (FKF) honcho, Nick Mwendwa, has sent a stern warning to local clubs that they will be relegated if they fail to meet all the requirements of club licensing procedures.
Mwendwa made the remarks during the Club Licencing Workshop organised by the local governing body in conjunction with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) at a Nairobi hotel on Tuesday.
FKF has rolled out two club licensing workshops that will run from April 2-4 for its men's and women's leagues.
The Men’s Workshop is set to take place from April 2-3, with the women’s workshop scheduled for April 4.
"If you don't meet the criterion, you will fail and if you don't do what you are supposed to do, you will be relegated. We are not joking when we say this and there are no shortcuts whatsoever," Mwendwa remarked.
"Don't wait until you are relegated and then start kicking up a fuss for no reason at all. That's why we are having this workshop now and we intend to repeat the process each year," he added.
Mwendwa said it is high time clubs realised their importance in elevating the status of football in the country by adhering to the required statutes.
"We cannot build our football without clubs and the most important place where football is nurtured is in the clubs. We cannot do it in the national teams and any other place besides the clubs," Mwendwa said.
Mwendwa said clubs have to understand that the business of nurturing players and the business of growing the game in the country is first and foremost their job.
"We pick up from where you are and regulate you but it is your job. In some countries, some clubs are bigger than the federation and you can also make your clubs big. It's not easy because it requires a lot of hard work and investment," Mwendwa remarked.
"This initiative is to get you to have a structure that grows your club. When you grow your club, the benefits to yourselves and the country are immense."
"In Kenya, things have begun to change. There are five matches out of nine on television every weekend. Next season, I'm looking forward to having seven and then the entire nine matches in the subsequent seasons.
"That means you can build more on the platform. There are now more commercial opportunities for your club if your matches are televised.
Mwendwa revealed plans to televise the National Super League matches.
"In the NSL, we are making progress to see what we can do in the next season in terms of sponsorship, in terms of support. When we do this, we are creating the right medium for your clubs so that investing becomes easier.
"People have told me many stories about other countries. But I know that where we are today, is way higher than many of our counterparts. I'm looking forward to having this workshop and strong where we will be three years from today because we are very serious," he concluded.
