This archive report was first published on 14 May 2020.
On May 14, 2020, the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 season of the Kenya Women's Premier League (WPL) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to FKF Communication Officer Ken Okaka, the government's measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus made it impossible to play matches in the next few months.
"The entire WPL season is cancelled. We will have no champions, no team promotions, and no relegation," Okaka explained.
The WPL has 16 teams drawn into two zones, with two teams from Zone 'A' and six from the other stream having competed in their first round of matches by the time the league was suspended in March.
Defending champions Vihiga Queens coach Alex Alumira expressed his regret over the cancellation, stating, "We obviously have to keep our health and safety first and we don't want to lose any players, coaches, or match officials due to ignorance."
Alumira added that the team would focus on keeping the players fit and disciplined through virtual training and exercise.
Newly promoted Kahawa Starlets coach Joseph Mwanza also expressed his support for the cancellation, saying, "It was our hope and dream to get into the national league and we want every team to be safe and healthy when we get to face them next year."
The cancellation of the league has also affected the women's national team, Harambee Starlets, who were looking forward to the Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches.
