KUSF Enforces Two-Year Bans Over Eligibility Violations Across Multiple Universities

In a sweeping move to uphold the integrity of university sports, the Kenya Universities Sports Federation (KUSF) has imposed two-year bans on several teams and institutions following confirmed breaches of eligibility rules during the 2025 National Playoffs. The decisions were reached during a joint sitting of the KUSF Executive and Eligibility Committee held on 2nd October 2025, and the sanctions take effect immediately.

The violations span a range of offenses, including age falsification, impersonation, and fielding of non-students. Machakos University’s Netball Women team was found to have altered the date of birth on a player’s ID to fit within the allowable age bracket. Co-operative University and Egerton University both fielded overage players in their Chess Men teams, while the University of Nairobi’s Table Tennis Men team faced a ban after a player was caught impersonating another individual using mismatched documents.

Strathmore University faced the most extensive sanctions, with six teams—Soccer Men, Volleyball Women, Table Tennis Men, Scrabble Women, Hockey Women, and Handball Men—implicated in various eligibility violations. These included fielding non-students, overage players, and forging identity documents. The Soccer Men team also engaged in unsportsmanlike conduct by disrupting matches through protest actions on the pitch.

Kenyatta University, despite being a host institution, was not spared. The university was banned from hosting any KUSF Soccer-related activities for two years after repeated pitch invasions by home supporters disrupted the flow of matches, forcing organizers to relocate the event to a neutral venue.

Kabarak University’s Soccer and Netball Men teams were also sanctioned. Investigations revealed that two players were overage, while a third was involved in impersonation. These findings were confirmed through document verification and facial mismatch assessments conducted by the Eligibility team.

Maseno University has now been added to the list of sanctioned institutions. The Soccer Men team was found to have fielded an ineligible player—whose inability to access the student portal raised concerns about his enrollment status. Upon follow-up, it was confirmed that the player was not an active student, resulting in a two-year suspension for the team from all KUSF-organized activities.

All affected institutions have been granted seven working days to submit written appeals should they wish to contest the decisions. KUSF Secretary General Joan Adalo reiterated the federation’s commitment to fair play, stating,

“Eligibility is the foundation of credible competition. These sanctions are not punitive—they are corrective. We must protect the integrity of our championships and ensure that every student-athlete competes on equal footing.”

As the 2025–2026 season progresses, KUSF urges all member institutions to reinforce internal compliance protocols and conduct thorough eligibility audits. The federation remains steadfast in promoting transparency, discipline, and excellence across all university sports disciplines.