The Kenya Premier League is set for a fresh push to make matchdays more exciting, accessible and family-friendly as the 2026/2027 season prepares to kick off on Saturday. Football stakeholders gathered in Nairobi on Wednesday for a media seminar focused on strengthening coverage, growing the league’s audience and turning stadium visits into a more engaging experience for fans.
Highlights
- The 2026/2027 Kenya Premier League season kicks off on Saturday.
- FKF and SJAK held a media seminar ahead of the new campaign.
- KPL wants to attract more families and young fans to stadiums.
- Derby matches, merchandise and fan rewards are among the planned initiatives.
- A Fans Fun Day is expected to be introduced during the season.
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KPL Eyes a Bigger Fan Experience
The new Kenya Premier League season is coming with a renewed focus on supporters, with league stakeholders looking to transform football matches into experiences that appeal beyond the traditional match-going audience.
Club media officers, photographers and sports journalists met in Nairobi on Wednesday during a seminar organised by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) in partnership with the Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK).
The discussions centred on how the media and clubs can work together to increase the league’s visibility and attract more supporters.
KPL Partnerships and Sponsorships Manager Japheth Akhulia said the league wants to encourage more families to attend matches, including parents bringing their children to the stadium.
He also challenged the media to play a bigger role in creating excitement around local football and showcasing the league to audiences beyond Kenya.
Building on Last Season’s Progress
Akhulia pointed to several achievements from the 2025/2026 campaign, describing them as important building blocks for the league’s future.
The season featured seven monthly awards, 331 live broadcasts on Azam, 34 matchdays completed as scheduled, five All Access episodes and the Annual Gala awards ceremony.
The Twende Game initiative also continued to gain traction, with improvements recorded in stadium attendance.
According to Akhulia, other positives from the previous campaign included competitive title and relegation battles, strong derby rivalries, wider television coverage through KBC and Azam, and greater recognition of the Kenya Premier League brand.
He added that the competition had attracted interest from audiences in regions including Asia, Europe and the United States, creating an opportunity for Kenyan football to build a larger international following.
More Focus on Derbies and Digital Platforms
For the 2026/2027 season, the league is looking to package major derbies as regular entertainment properties while expanding merchandise, supporter rewards and digital engagement.
Plans are also underway to create a central digital platform for the Kenya Premier League and strengthen connections between clubs, regional branches and local communities.
The league also intends to introduce a Fans Fun Day, giving supporters another opportunity to interact with clubs and players outside regular matchdays.
Akhulia further highlighted the importance of improved broadcast production and the involvement of celebrities who genuinely support Kenyan football as part of efforts to make the league more attractive to a wider audience.
Media Urged to Tell the Kenyan Football Story
SJAK President James Waindi praised the initiative and reaffirmed the media’s role in helping grow the competition.
Waindi said sports journalists have a responsibility to provide professional and responsible coverage while working with FKF and the Kenya Premier League to tell the story of Kenyan football to audiences locally and internationally.
With the new campaign set to begin on Saturday, the focus is now shifting from preparations to delivering a season that gives supporters more reasons to leave their screens and head to the stadium.
As the new season gets underway, the biggest question may not only be who lifts the trophy, but whether Kenyan football can turn every matchday into an experience fans will want to come back for.
