The qualification pathway for the 2026/2027 KRU Championship is now firmly in sight as teams in the Nationwide League approach the tail end of their regular season campaigns across all eight regions. The draw, conducted today at the RFUEA Grounds, mapped out the journey for the 16 teams that will progress to the Round of 16, all vying for a coveted slot in the second tier. Regions were seeded from position one to sixteen based on their standings at the end of the previous season, setting the stage for a structured and competitive pathway.
The draw featured four pots, with teams distributed as follows:
Pot 1 – Western 2, Nairobi 2, Central 1 and Rift Valley 1.
Pot 2 – Nairobi 1, Coast 1, Western 1 and Central 3.
Pot 3 -Nairobi 3, Rift Valley 3, Central 2 and Coast 2.
Pot 4 – Nairobi 4, Rift Valley 2, Western 3 and the best third-placed regional team.
As guided by the league manual, fixtures were determined with Pot 1 facing Pot 4 (Match 1–4) and Pot 2 facing Pot 3 (Match 5–8), producing a balanced knockout bracket.
The outcome of the draw delivered the following Round of 16 fixtures:
ROUND OF 16 – 2ND MAY 2026
Match 1: Central 1 vs Western 3
Match 2: Rift Valley 1 vs Nairobi 4
Match 3: Nairobi 2 vs Rift Valley 2
Match 4: Western 2 vs Best 3rd Placed Team
Match 5: Nairobi 1 vs Central 2
Match 6: Western 1 vs Coast 2
Match 7: Central 3 vs Nairobi 3
Match 8: Coast 1 vs Rift Valley 3
- Match 1: Seed 1 vs Seed 8
- Match 2: Seed 2 vs Seed 7
- Match 3: Seed 3 vs Seed 6
- Match 4: Seed 4 vs Seed 5