With close to 10 days having elapsed since the 2026/27 Kenyan football season was slated to kick off, Tusker FC captain Abud Omar has explained how protracted court battles leading to the delay in league commencement are affecting the FKF Premier League.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsUnlike a majority of leagues across the world, the Kenyan top-flight is yet to kick off due to a standoff emanating from the implementation of the relegation/promotion criteria.Harambee Stars winger breaks Alexander Isak's record after scoring first LaLiga goalFKF applied the 2025 Regulations, which dictate that the last three FKF Premier League teams will be relegated automatically at the conclusion of the season, while a section of stakeholders led by Kariobangi Sharks argue that the rules were passed after the commencement of the 2025/26 season, which makes them illegal.Instead, Sharks are seeking the adoption of the 2019 Regulations, which included a promotion/relegation playoff between the third-last team in the FKF Premier League and the third-placed side in the National Super League (NSL).##NAJAVA_MECA_9945923##The matter has been dragging on in court and has prevented the league from kicking off, with Abud weighing in on how the FKF Premier League is bearing the brunt of the current impasse.“The federation needs to find a solution as soon as possible because many people are suffering, but most importantly, it makes our league disrespected.Former Sports PS arrested over 2018 CHAN millions as Nick Mwendwa walks freeSuch happenings are the things that make people disrespect our league. The current situation scares away even sponsors,” said Abud.Having left Tusker after his first stint in 2015 to join Greek side Panegialios, the experienced defender went ahead to share indicators that the league has depreciated in value.##NAJAVA_MECA_9945924##“Back in the day before I went to Europe, most East African players used to come to Kenya because the Kenyan league was better. Right now, things have changed, and a lot of our players are heading to Tanzania,” he added.The 33-year-old, who is part of the national team fold and a strong candidate to feature in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), was also wary of the impasse's effect on the continental tourney set to be hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.Timothy Ouma lambasted by former Premier League referee after conceding cheap penalty“We need to be serious as a country, especially this year because we have AFCON upcoming and therefore we need to be competitive,” he noted.