Mombasa United FC have been declared winners of the Kariobangi Sharks FC–Mombasa United FC promotion play-off and promoted to the 2026/27 SportPesa League season following a decision by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Leagues and Competitions Committee.
The Committee, which heard the matter on Friday, 9 October 2026, ruled that Kariobangi Sharks forfeit the second-leg match played at Ulinzi Sports Complex on 6 October, awarding Mombasa United a 2-0 victory.
The decision followed the abandonment of the match in the 64th minute after Kariobangi Sharks players protested the referee’s decision to award a penalty to Mombasa United. According to the Committee’s findings, Kariobangi Sharks’ kit manager, Patrick Paul Otieno, and a section of the club’s fans subsequently invaded the pitch and physically assaulted the centre referee.
The referee was assessed by the medical team and informed the match commissioner that he could not continue. The match was consequently called off, with the incident reported at Lang’ata Police Station. In its ruling, the Committee applied Articles 3.3.2 and 3.3.3 of the Rules and Regulations Governing Kenyan Football (2019) to award the match to Mombasa United on a 2-0 scoreline.
The Committee also referred matters relating to violence and misconduct during the match to the FKF Disciplinary Committee for further proceedings and appropriate sanctions. Mombasa United’s promotion confirms their place in the 2026/27 SportPesa League season.
